Srinagar, July 16,: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Professor Saifuddin Soz on Thursday said the political discourse in Jammu and Kashmir should focus on the restoration of Article 370 and internal autonomy rather than statehood, asserting that statehood would eventually be restored.
Addressing reporters, Soz said the National Conference should not expend its political energy solely on the demand for restoration of statehood, maintaining that the issue was temporary and would ultimately be resolved.
“Statehood is not the real issue. Nobody can deprive Jammu and Kashmir of statehood for a long time. Jammu and Kashmir will not remain a Union Territory forever,” he said.
The veteran Congress leader argued that the more fundamental political question before the people was the restoration of Article 370 and the constitutional autonomy that existed prior to its abrogation in August 2019.
“The real issue is internal autonomy, and that is what we must fight for. The struggle should be for the restoration of Article 370,” Soz said.
His remarks come at a time when the ruling National Conference has intensified its campaign for the restoration of statehood and announced a protest in New Delhi to press the Centre on the issue.
While reaffirming that Jammu and Kashmir should regain its statehood, Soz maintained that constitutional safeguards and the restoration of the region’s special constitutional position deserved greater political attention. [KNT]
