NEW DELHI: It seems the ministry of hawkish Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started working according it its manifesto within 24 hrs of assuming to office. A statement by minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office, Jitendra Singh, on Tuesday sparked the new government’s first controversy when he said the Narendra Modi government was open to debate on Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir,while making it clear that efforts would be made through this exercise to “convince” the “unconvinced”.
Soon after, Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah strongly objected to the minister’s statement and tweeted, “So the new MOS PMO says process/discussions to revoke Art 370 have started. Wow, that was a quick beginning. Not sure who is talking.”
He went on to add, “Mark my words & save this tweet – long after Modi Govt is a distant memory either J&K won’t be part of India or Art 370 will still exist.”
“Art 370 is the ONLY constitutional link between J&K & rest of India. Talk of revocation of not just ill informed it’s irresponsible,” he added.
Repeating the stand of Modi during his rally in December last year, Singh, a first time Parliament member and a surprise choice as minister of state in the PMO, said, “his (Modi’s) intention and that of the government is that we have a debate so that we can convince the unconvinced about the disadvantages of Article 370, PTI reported.