GUWAHATI, Aug 10 - The ruling BJP has asserted that the Centre has no intention of removing Article 371 of the Constitution, which grants special provisions to 11 states, including a few in the North East region.
Addressing a press meet here on Friday, State BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass said that since the government introduced the Bills for abrogation of Article 370 and for reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir, many forces have been trying to spread misinformation as to the intentions of the government.
�Some parties and individuals are trying to spread falsehood and sow confusion. That is happening in Assam also. However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has made it clear that Article 371 will remain in place. There is no reason for apprehension with regard to Article 371,� Dass said.
Congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for repeal of Article 370, Dass said that people of the reorganised Union Territories (UT) of both Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will now benefit as many Central laws, which were earlier not applicable in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, will now be relevant there.
Speaking on the occasion, State BJP general secretary and Lok Sabha MP from Mangaldai Dilip Saikia said that Shah, in reply to a comment by Congress MP Manish Tiwari in the Parliament, had categorically asserted that Article 371 will not be touched.
�Article 371 and its various sub-sections will be kept intact. Special provisions for the North Eastern states will not be infringed upon and the Home Minister made it clear in the Lok Sabha,� Saikia said.
Terming Article 370 as discriminatory, Saikia said that citizens of both Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will now get equal rights and opportunities on par with citizens of other states and UTs of India.
�A historic blunder committed by Jawaharlal Nehru has been corrected... It is unfortunate that Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Tarun Gogoi are speaking in a language similar to that spoken by Pakistan,� said Saikia.
