Centre's promise to northeast on CAA negates its claim on J-K special status: NC MP

NC MP Hasnain Masoodi on Friday said the Centre's assurances to northeastern states on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act negates the government's claim on revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status being about bringing uniform laws across India.

"The northeast is getting assurance daily that their identity and culture will be protected and inner lines permit which is a permit to enter these states will be respected. This belies the narrative which was marketed that there will be one nation, one law and one constitution after the revocation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir and abrogation of Article 370," Masoodi told PTI.

Masoodi said the government's appeals for peaceful protests and voicing dissent through peaceful manner against the CAA mean that violence is necessary to get the disapproval and dissent registered in the country.

"The Centre is making appeals to the people across the country, to students that they should voice their disagreement and dissent in a peaceful manner. But when the people of Jammu and Kashmir decided to voice their disagreement and disapproval in a peaceful manner, they refused to register their disapproval on the ground that not a single bullet was fired. Indirectly, it means that violence is necessary to get the disapproval and dissent registered," he said.

The NC MP from South Kashmir appealed to the people who are protesting in a peaceful manner to also voice disapproval of the August 5 decisions "which were equally against the Constitution and against what the people of Jammu and Kashmir are facing, including the detention of political leaders".

"There is an internet clampdown in our state for the last five months now and it has been removed within 10 days in Assam. We appeal to the people to understand the discomfort suffered by them in the national capital and wherever there has been such a clampdown and understand the plight of the people in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

Masoodi said the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir government should allow peaceful protests in the Union territory against the revocation of the special status of the erstwhile state.

"If the Union home minister says people are welcome to protest against the CAA in a peaceful manner then allow peaceful protest in Jammu and Kashmir also, he said.