On Saturday, the BJP accused PDP Chairman Mehbooba Mufti of “disrespecting” the Indian flag and claimed that the revocation of Article 370 was made constitutionally and that it will not be reinstated. His comments that he will not hold the tricolor until the Kashmir flag is restored is a “frank denunciation” of the sanctity of the national flag, said BJP leader and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir had said on Friday that she was not interested in participating in elections or holding the tricolor, the national flag, until constitutional changes implemented on August 5 last year were repealed. She said she would hold up the tricolor only when the separate old state flag is restored.
Prasad claimed that Article 370, which gave the old state special status and was repealed last year, will not be restored. It was removed after a proper constitutional process and both Houses of Parliament approved it with an overwhelming number, he said.
Revoking it was our commitment to the nation and the people have appreciated it, he said. In many ways, Mufti has shown serious disrespect for the very image of India that the tricolor represents, he added.
The minister also attacked other opposition parties, saying they have kept stony silence over her comments that show serious disrespect for the national flag, even when criticizing the saffron party for “the slightest of problems.” “This is hypocrisy and double standards,” Prasad said.
He affirmed that the revocation of Article 370 has led to greater development in the territory of the union with the weakest sectors of society, such as SC, ST, OBC and women, enjoying the same rights as in the rest of the country. People participated in local polls in Jammu and Kashmir with joy and happiness, he said.
“Some individuals and families who used to rule with impunity and without accountability are going to have problems,” he said.
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