Annulling Articles 370, 35-A will tantamount to constitutional coup: Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah Saturday said annulling Articles 370 and 35-A will tantamount to a constitutional coup.

He asserted that Article 370 is essential and unassailable until a final resolution of the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is reached. "Keeping in view the special circumstances (at the time of accession of J&K to India), Article 370 was added to the Constitution of India. The Article will remain as it is until the final resolution of the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is not reached to," Abdullah said addressing a party convention in Handwara area of Kupwara district. "So until the issue is solved, no power on earth can touch the article 370.

The uneducated rants of those who want to obliterate Article 370 are far-fetched, fanciful and devoid of any genuineness," the former chief minister added. Referring to Article 35-A, the NC chief said that the special provision was the fallout of Article 370 and fiddling with it will upset all the successive amendments to the presidential order of 1954. "If Article 35-A is annulled, then all the successive presidential orders will get annulled automatically. It was the then Maharaja who gave the state subject rights to the people of state in 1927," he said.

Abdullah said powers in New Delhi were frightened of the NC and the very thought of the party returning to power sends jitters through them. "They are well aware of the fact that until NC remains in the state it will painstakingly protect the interests of the state. They are frightened of us," he said. "Anxious and unnerved, New Delhi has employed various henchmen in the state to frustrate the efforts of NC towards protecting the special status of our state," he added.