Raising its pitch over Article 370 which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the state's ruling National Conference today claimed the constitutional provision had full endorsement of even Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of Jana Sangh, BJP's earlier avatar.
"This constitutional proviso had full endorsement of even Shyama Prasad Mukherjee... How can they (BJP) wish away this historical fact while generating passions over the issue," Jammu provincial president of NC Devender Singh Rana told reporters here today.
He referred to the debates of the Constituent Assembly wherein Mukherjee, in his capacity as a member, never opposed the Article 370 and became a signatory to the Constitution.
Rana reiterated that Article 370 is a bridge between Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of the country, while assailing the policy statement of the central government with regard to initiation of "process of scrapping this vital constitutional proviso".
"My party opposes any such move which jeopardises the legitimate guarantee enshrined in the Constitution for the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh," he said.
"We are not shying away from deliberations over this issue," he said, and referred to his participation in a seminar on it in Jammu recently which was attended among others by senior BJP leader and MP Meenakshi Lekhi.
He said Article 370 has come into force after detailed and threadbare discussions by stalwarts like Sardar Patel, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Gopalaswamy Aiyenger and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Mirza Afzal Beig and Moti Ram Baigda.
He alleged that BJP "has been raking up this issue in different manifestations for the past six decades and the difference is only that during elections the intensity becomes more pronounced".
Rana urged the people not to get carried away by the mischievous propaganda that Article 370 is coming in the way of development of Jammu and Kashmir. "This is erroneous perception spread with malicious intent," he said.
