Even Ambedkar would have been slandered as pro-Pak by BJP: Mehbooba

Srinagar: Reacting to criticism of Congress leader Digvijaya Singh over his remarks on Article 370, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said the BJP would have slandered even B R Ambedkar, the father of Indian Constitution, as pro-Pakistan had he been alive.

Ms Mehbooba, who is the President of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said Indian constitution drafted by Ambedkar and subverted repeatedly by Government of India (GOI) to push their agenda is what granted Article 370 to J&K.

“Indian constitution drafted by BR Ambedkar & subverted repeatedly by GOI to push their agenda is what granted Article 370 to J&K. Thank god Ambedkar ji isn’t alive or else he too would be slandered as pro- Pakistan by BJP,” Ms Mehbooba wrote on micro-blogging site twitter.

Digvijaya Singh's comments on Article 370 have invited sharp criticism by several Union ministers and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP on Saturday leaked an audio chat of Mr Singh allegedly saying that Congress ‘would certainly have to relook’ the decision of revoking Article 370. Democracy was not there in Kashmir when they revoked Article 370. Then Insaniyat was not there because they had put everyone behind bars. Kashmiriyat is something that is basically the fundamentals of secularism. Because in a Muslim majority state, there was a Hindu Raja and both were together," Digvijaya Singh can be heard saying in the audio clip.

The Centre on August 5, 2019 abrogated Article 370 and Article 35 A, besides dividing the erstwhile state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. (UNI)