‘Situation fine in Leh, Kargil since abrogation of 370’
| Date :21-Nov-2019 |
Staff Reporter :
Raipur,
Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of India, Lesotho, Guinea-Bissau and to Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils, Kargil and Leh (India) Dr Deepak Vohra said that the situation is absolutely fine in Leh and Kargil since the abrogation of Article 370. “Not even a single citizen in the newly- formed Union Territory has any complaint against their separation from Jammu and Kashmir. The people here are quite happy and now want a statehood status,” said Vohra the former Ambassador of India to Poland. Vohra, however, said that he cannot guarantee that all Jammu and Kashmir people are satisfied with the abrogation of Article 370.
“I can say some people are unhappy as the ‘liberty’ they had been enjoying under the Special Status category in the form of tax exemption and other facilities have stopped,” said Dr Vohra, while clarifying that abrogation of Article 370 was legally correct. Article 370 was not in the Main Body of the Constitution rather it was temporary and therefore the President of India had every right to apply his power, emphasised Dr Vohra while addressing a meet the press programme organised by Raipur Press Club on Wednesday. Recalling history of Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Vohra, who served as Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, said that the then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir had agreed to accede to the Dominion of India unconditionally.
Some people are trying to mislead the history saying it was a conditional merger during the attack on Jammu and Kashmir in October, 1947. Dr Vohra also recalled how Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel had played a pivotal role in uniting the nation. Dr Vohra said that 99 per cent people of Gilgit-Balistan, which is being administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory, are desperate to be part of India. People of Balochistan are also not happy with Pakistan, Dr Vohra said. Dr Vohra was accompanied by educationist Dr Jawahar Surisetti. Earlier, Press Club president Damu Ambedare and other members welcomed the guests.