The Bharatiya Janata Party attacked the Congress-led National Conference alliance on Thursday over remarks about reinstating Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir after their stance was backed by Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif. The minister in an interview with Geo News stated that the Shehbaz Sharif administration and the Congress-National Conference alliance are "on the same page".

Asif stated in the interview that "Pakistan and the National Conference-Congress alliance are on the same page in Jammu and Kashmir to restore Article 370." In addition, he said there was a "high chance" the Congress-National Conference coalition would prevail in the Assembly elections and take control of the Union Territory. The comments by the Pakistani minister come at a time when Assembly polls are being held in J&K, the first since the special status of the erstwhile state was scrapped in 2019. Significantly, Asif's comments in the midst of Jammu and Kashmir polls, with the results to be declared on October 8.

Farooq Abdullah, the head of the NC and a former chief minister of J&K, responded to reports regarding the remarks made by the Pakistani Defence Minister on Article 370 and the NC-Congress alliance by saying: "I have no control over what Pakistan says." I am not a Pakistani. I am an Indian citizen.” The BJP attacked the alliance, accusing the National Conference and Congress of siding with Pakistan and raising concerns about the fact that "Rahul Gandhi and his Congress, are always seen on the side of those inimical to India's interest."

"Pakistan, a terrorist state, endorses Congress and National Conference's position on Kashmir," wrote BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya on X. On Hamid Mir's Capital Talk on Geo News, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif states, "Pakistan and the National Conference-Congress alliance are on the same page in Jammu & Kashmir to restore Article 370 and 35A." How come Rahul Gandhi and his Congress are always perceived as siding with those who are against India's interests, from Pakistan to Pannun?”

"Today the cat is out of the bag for Modi Virodh, they can even stand with Pakistan," BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, citing the surgical strike incidents in Balakote and Pulwama as examples. “Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Hamid Mir’s Capital Talk on Geo News says, ‘Pakistan and National Conference-Congress alliance are on the same page in Jammu & Kashmir to restore Article 370 and 35A’ Was there ever any doubt? Today the cat is out of the bag. For Modi Virodh they can even stand with Pakistan,” the BJP leader said in a post on X.

The opposition parties' demands for the reinstatement of Article 370 during the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections brought the issue to the spotlight once again. Earlier, Farooq Abdullah said, “How many years did BJP take to abrogate it (Article 370)? By God’s will, we will also restore it. It is the heartbeat of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370 and 35 A will be restored.”

Omar Abdullah, the former chief minister, also voiced optimism for the reinstatement of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir as he asserted, “Nothing is impossible. If today a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court has announced a verdict against Article 370, then isn’t it possible that tomorrow a seven-judge Constitution bench will give a verdict in favour of Article 370.”

The government of Jammu and Kashmir declared in Parliament on August 5, 2019, that Article 370 would be revoked and that the state would be divided into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir with an assembly and Ladakh without one. Back then, the government promised that J&K's statehood would be reinstated when the time was right. Since then, ministers in the government have repeatedly repeated this promise.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasised recently that the government was committed to restoring J&K statehood following the elections at a rally in Doda, J&K.

Image source: News 18