INDIA VOTES 2024: Prior to the Lok Sabha election, return attention to Art 370

Prior to the Lok Sabha elections, Article 370 has come back into the spotlight due to statements made by prominent BJP figures, such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at various rallies about the now-abrogated Article of the Indian Constitution.

On August 5, 2019, Article 35-A, which granted Jammu and Kashmir special status, and the “contentious” Article 370 were repealed.

The legality of Article 370’s abrogation has been a topic of controversy for many years, but BJP leaders in particular have recently brought it to light. Leaders are bringing up the termination of J&K’s special status at rallies around the nation.

At most of his election rallies, Prime Minister Modi brings up the repeal of Article 370 while listing the accomplishments of the Central government over the previous several years. Among other locations, he has brought up the article during rallies in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.

Speaking about terrorism in J&K and Article 370, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah have been making appearances all across the nation. During his rally in Kathua on Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that terrorism in J&K was caused by Article 370 and that the security situation has improved since it was removed. Amit Shah said that the Congress has “pampered” Article 370 for decades, treating it like a “illegitimate child,” at a rally in Moradabad on Friday.

Mallikarjun Kharge, the national president of the Congress, recently caused a sensation when he mispronounced Article 370 as Article 371. Shah criticized the Congress by saying that such errors were to be anticipated.

In an attempt to win over voters in the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat, where the first round of voting is scheduled for April 19, Congress candidate Lal Singh has been accusing the BJP of stealing Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and unique constitutional features. Ghulam Nabi Azad, the chairman of the DPAP and a former chief minister of J&K, has been promoting the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and bringing up public problems like rights to land and employment.

While the Congress has not yet taken a position on Article 370, BJP candidate Jitendra Singh claims that his party is running in tandem with the National Conference, which has openly expressed its opposition to the repeal of Article 370 and promised to work toward its restoration if given the chance.

Since 2019, there has been debate over the abolition of Article 370, leading to several petitions against its abrogation being filed in the Supreme Court. But in December of last year, the five judges on the Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the government’s decision to revoke Article 370.

The opposition asserts that terror occurrences are increasing in the Rajouri and Poonch areas, claiming the lives of several civilians and security force personnel, while the BJP maintains that the removal of Article 370 has restored stability to J&K. They said that in Kashmir, targeted murders of minorities had also occurred recently.