Srinagar, April 13 (IANS) Senior Congress leader Saifudddin Soz on Saturday said it is not the restoration of statehood that matters to the people of J&K but it is the restoration of autonomy that is still a relevant issue for the people.
“The State of J&K was granted Internal Autonomy within the Constitution of India through debates and discussion. The Centre’s agreement was obtained through a democratic process. The debates on this crucial issue in the J&K Constituent Assembly and in Lok Sabha bear testimony to the fact of history,” Soz said.
He said that at least two debates have taken place on this issue. “One in the J&K Constituent Assembly on November 5, 1952, and the other in the Lok Sabha on August 24, 1952 bear witness to the fact that the question of Internal Autonomy to the J&K State was settled democratically on the said dates,” Soz said.
He said if the ruling class at the Centre does not accept past agreements, it is a mistake which may yield political acrimony over a period of time.
“The J&K mainstream political class must bear some responsibility. If they continue to remain silent, it will amount to their disastrous failure, in political terms,” he said.
–IANS
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