Patna: In a U-turn, the Janata Dal (United), a key ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Wednesday announced its support to the Centre’s move to revoke Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
After opposing scrapping of Article 370, senior JD-U leader R.C.P. Singh said that when any law come into force, it becomes a law of the country and all should accept it. “We are with the government on scrapping of Article 370,” Singh, JD-U Rajya Sabha MP, said here.
Singh, considered close to Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U president Nitish Kumar, said Kashmir was integral part of India and would remain so.
Singh also explained why JD-U had opposed the scrapping of Article 370. “Our late party leader George Fernandes who was convenor of the NDA had decided not to support BJP on controversial issues. We have attachment for Article 370 and opposed its scrapping because we did not want to hurt soul of George Fernandes”.
Singh has further cautioned party leaders to speak on this issue with care and seriousness without crossing the party line. Two days ago, a party leader had appealed to Nitish to reconsider the JD-U’s opposition to revocation of Article 370, and said the party should review its stand.
After Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the proposal to revoke Article 370 that gives special status to J&K and moved a separate bill to bifurcate the state into two Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh, senior JD-U leader K.C. Tyagi had said the party opposed the revocation.
