If you remove article 370, your relation with J&K will be over: Mehbooba Mufti warns Centre

Mufti said that Jammu and Kashmir had joined on some conditions and if those conditions are removed then the people will have to think again whether to join or not.

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Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said that if the centre removes article 370 that gives special power to J&K then its relationship with the state will be over. She said that if the centre scraps the article then the country will have to re-negotiate the terms and conditions with J&K.

“And on what terms and conditions will that relationship be built. There will be new terms and negotiations. So, are you ready for that like what happened in 1947? Are you ready (to negotiate) with a Muslim-majority state…would we even want to join…we will have to re-think,” the former chief minister said.

Mufti further said that Jammu and Kashmir had joined on some conditions and if those conditions are removed then the people will have to think again whether to join or not.

“If you give some position under Indian constitution and you remove that position then we will have to think again. Would we even want to remain with you without those terms? Arun Jaitley should understand these things. This is not easy to remove article 370. if you scrap article 370 your relationship with Jammu and Kashmir will be over,” Mufti said.

#WATCH Mehbooba Mufti: If you break that bridge (Art 370)…then you will have to renegotiate relationship b/w India-Jammu&Kashmir, there will be new conditions…A Muslim majority state, would it even want to stay with you?…If you scrap 370, your relation with J&K will be over pic.twitter.com/HlAMZh3KcC
— ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2019

Earlier this week, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in a blog said that article 35 has hampered the economic development of Jammu and Kashmir. He said that investors are not willing to set up an industry, hotel, private hospitals or private educational institutions since they can neither buy land or property nor can their executives do so.

The minister said that article 35 A is used as a political shield by many but it hurt the common citizen of the state the most. It has denied the people a booming economy and jobs, he added.