Owais Gul
Srinagar, Sep 13: Stating that he doesn’t have “Aladdin’s magical lamp” to get back the Article 370, former chief minister and senior political leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday said that he won’t tell public that he will get it (Article 370) restored through the Supreme Court.
Talking to media persons after meeting several delegations here in Srinagar, Azad, said he doesn’t have “Aladdin’s magical lamp” to restore the Article 370 nor he will tell public that he will get it restored through the Supreme Court.
He also advised mainstream parties against raking up the Article 370 issue. “I want to tell the political parties to rake up the issue of development and keep it (Article 370) away,” he said, adding that one lakh people have been killed in Kashmir due to emotional slogans.
Azad said that he won’t mislead people over the issue of Article 370. “There are two ways to restore the Article 370 i.e. Parliament and Supreme Court (SC). In Parliament, 377 MPs of eight parties voted in favour of Narendra Modi (for abrogation of Article 370) and nine smaller parties with 77 votes supported us (voted against abrogation of Article 370). It will take time for 77 members to become 377. I won’t tell people to vote for me and I will restore Article 370,” he said.
He said the Supreme Court can restore Article 370 but it has not yet heard the case.
“No party can claim that if it will come into power it will direct the SC to hear the case. Can anyone claim that he will get a favourable judgment from Supreme Court within six months? Even the government can’t do so as the Supreme Court is supreme,” he said.
He said he was the lone MP who vociferously opposed abrogation of Article 370 in the Parliament.
He said his speech on Article 370 in the Parliament was watched by people in 200 countries.
