Jammu and Kashmir’s main opposition party, National Conference, has advised the government to ask its ally BJP and the Centre for help against attempts to alter Constitutional provisions that give special status to the state, political sources said today.
This was conveyed to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti during her surprise visit to National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah’s residence last evening, amid the debate on Article 35A of the Constitution, which gives special status to the state under Article 370.
The National Conference, which has 15 MLAs in the 87- member state assembly, told the chief minister that she needs to convince the central leadership, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to defend the state’s special status in the Supreme Court, which is hearing a PIL on the issue, the sources said.
The provision, which empowers the Jammu and Kashmir legislature to define the state’s “permanent residents” and their special rights and privileges, has been challenged in the Supreme Court
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