India Reacts Strongly to Pakistan's Support for Article 370

Indian political leaders express strong disapproval of Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's support for the Congress-NC alliance's stand on Article 370. Union Ministers and BJP candidates affirm that Article 370 is part of history and will not be reinstated in the Indian Constitution.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar reiterated on Thursday that no efforts to reinstate Article 370 would be successful, asserting that the provision no longer exists in the Indian Constitution. His statement came in response to Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's endorsement of the Congress-NC alliance's stance on the issue.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan termed Asif's remarks as 'unfortunate', accusing the Congress of aligning with Pakistan. Chouhan said, 'The Pakistan Defence Minister's statement proves that Pakistan, the Congress Party, and the NC share the same intentions. Rahul Gandhi's Congress is now standing with Pakistan. Neither will Article 370 be reinstated, nor will terrorism persist.' He emphasized that PM Narendra Modi remains committed to national security.

Pawan Kumar Gupta, BJP candidate from Udhampur West Assembly constituency, also criticized the Congress-NC alliance, stating that the parties have always misused Article 370. 'Congress, PDP, and NC have fundamentally misunderstood the people of Kashmir. Their demand to reinstate Article 370 is irrelevant,' Gupta told reporters.

During an interview on Geo News, Khawaja Asif agreed that Pakistan and the National Conference-Congress alliance share the same goal of restoring Article 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir. Asif claimed that the restoration could become a reality if the NC-Congress alliance gains power in the next election, arguing that the population in the valley is highly motivated on this issue.

(With inputs from agencies.)