Suspended MLA challenges BJP to abrogate Art 370, 35-A from J&K

Jammu, Aug 11: Weeks after the disciplinary committee suspended Dr Gagan Bhagat, BJP MLA from RS Pura Assembly Constituency, for three months over his family dispute, he once again triggered a row on Saturday by asserting that the BJP has no guts to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35-A of the Constitution from Jammu and Kashmir.

“BJP is befooling the people of the state especially of Jammu region for vote bank,” Dr Bhagat said while speaking to people of his constituency at a meeting in Miran Sahib here.

He said BJP wants to get votes from Jammu keeping larger perspective in mind across the country, adding, “they are in the Centre and looking for the whole country.”

“For the last five years, BJP is ruling at the Centre and presently its Governor’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir---which means Centre Rule — and if had been serious to abrogate it, they would have done it,” he added.

He said Article 370 and Article 35-A should not go, which is in the interest of Jammu.

“I am not an agent of BJP, my people voted me to power and elected me,” Dr Bhagat told TNN.

He said, “my people are my responsibility and I will stand by them and fight against abrogation of Article 370, 35-A.”

Saying that the party has its own stand and political aspirations but sometimes, Dr Bhagat said, “We have to leave aside the party agendas for our own people.”

“By revoking Article 370 and 35-A, BJP in the Centre wants to benefit business tycoons from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and all those who are financially sound,” he alleged and added, “Jammu will face the brunt of Article 370, Article 35-A abrogation because people from outside will settle here, purchase land, get jobs.”

“People of Jammu already faced discrimination in the hands of Kashimiris since decades and if it happens and the articles go, Dogras will exist nowhere and we will be forced to launch a mass agitation,” said the BJP man.

He, however, said that Kashmiris (Kashmiri Muslims) are much forward and well established as compared to Dogras as they get them placed in various departments and in any situations. If they fail, they pelt stones to accomplish their missions, he added.

BJP did no good to the people of Jammu, he said while quoting an example of pending cases of 2008 Amarnath Land Row.

“People should raise its voice because innocent people of Jammu are safe only because of the existence of these two constitutional laws,” he said and added that BJP is a national party and they are eyeing the whole nation, so raising a bogey of revoking Article 35-A, 370 in election rallies but it will never happen.

“Youth in Jammu will not get jobs, outsiders will purchase land on exorbitant rates, we will be the worst sufferers,” he said and added that nobody will go to Kashmir for business or to settle down due to terrorism and due to this, Jammu is going to face the burden.

On July 26 the Disciplinary Committee of state BJP suspended the MLA for a period of three months to settle his family disputes. The committee was headed by chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi as its Chairman, ND Rajwal and Virinderjeet Singh as its members.

The committee was framed after some objectionable pictures of MLA went viral on social media with a girl following which his wife raised her voice and also filed case in the court of law.