Special status being ‘Demolished’ Brick-by-Brick: Opposition

A day after passage of statistical data bill in Rajya Sabha, opposition parties on Thursday said the application of the bill to J&K is “unconstitutional” and a “blow to Article 370.”
J&K Congress chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir said the Parliament cannot extend the bill to J&K without the concurrence of the state legislature.

“It is deliberate attempt to undermine the authority of state legislature,” he told Kashmir Post.
He blamed PDP for supporting “every wrong initiative” of the Centre “for remaining in power.”
“PDP must come clear on this. Out state is being sold by parts,” he said, adding that after every fortnight, “solid attempts are being made to erode special status of J&K.”

“This is being done with collective support of PDP-BJP state government,” Mir said.
He cautioned that extending statistical bill to state without seeking consent of state legislature would not be in the interest of the state, “rather it will lead to further alienation of the people.”
National Conference general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar called passing of the bill as unfortunate and a step towards erosion of Article 370.
“This is really unfortunate,” he said. “PDP is all helping the Centre in erosion of special status. They will help them in total erosion of Article 370.”
CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami termed the passing of the bill as unconstitutional and a big blow to Article 370.
He urged democratic forces to unite and resist such moves which are aimed to weaken the special status of the state.
“The constitutional procedures to extend the Bill to J&K have not been followed and as such it is unconstitutional. Any Bill passed by the Parliament can’t be extended to the Jammu and Kashmir. The Constitutional (Amendment) Bill passed by the Parliament is not applicable to J&K unless State Legislature looks into its various provisions and takes decisions accordingly. Then after the concurrence of the State Legislature, Presidential Order is issued, which has not been done in this case,” he said. “The rightwing forces in the country are demolishing the special status of Jammu and Kashmir brick-by-brick.”
Peoples Democratic Front president and MLA Khansahib Hakim Yasin said it is another step towards erosion of Article 370. “This is all intolerable,” he said.
Kashmir Centre for Social and Development Studies strongly reacted to the application of Statistics Act 2008 to J&K “in utter disregard to the state legislature and provisions of Article 370.”
“It is another major attack on Article 370 whereby government of India will control all statistical data, and further disempowered the state,” a spokesperson of KCSDS said in a statement.
“It is now clear that the application of this new law is a precursor to clandestine and imperceptible change of demography of the state by settling ex-army men and others non-state subjects near the borders,” the statement read. “PDP is shamelessly and brazenly violating the sacred trust and rights of people by lending a total helping hand to BJP/RSS in achieving their nefarious designs to utter disregard of the power of state legislature and whatever remains of Article 370.”