Reconsider stand on CAA and Article 370, leaders urge Centre

Leaders including those from Kashmir have urged the Centre to withdraw the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), and restore Article 370 – a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government would repeal the farm laws.

The opposition in Parliament is also looking to corner the government over various issues during the Winter Session following the announcement that the farm laws will be withdrawn. They could jointly press their demands, though on Article 370 and CAA there could be divisions, as many parties would not take the risk of raising these issues ahead of the assembly elections in five states.

The success in the farm agitation has given new hope to people who want to oppose the government, but thought that with Modi’s majority they cannot do much.

Kashmiri leaders are also putting their demands for restoration of Article 370. According to IANS, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said: “Desecrating Indian Constitution to dismember and disempower J&K was done only to please their voters. I hope they course correct here too and reverse the illegal changes made in J&K since August 2019.”

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Another former chief minister and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah said that the Union government must restore Article 370, 35A and the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.

The CAA is mainly being opposed by the people from the Muslim community, and some other sections of the society, alleging that the Act is discriminatory in nature.

Syed Sadatullah Hussaini, president, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, said: “We now urge the government to also look at the other anti-people and anti-constitutional laws like CAA-NRC, etc, and ensure that they too are withdrawn at the earliest. We feel delighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has finally acceded to the demands of the farmers. Had it been done earlier, the losses could have been averted.”

President of Majlis-e-Mushawarat, Navaid Hamid, said: “All draconian laws, including CAA and UAPA, need to be withdrawn. The minister whose son was allegedly involved in the killing of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri must be immediately sacked and adequate compensation should be given to all the farmers who died during the Kisan Andolan.”