Article 370 — the Constitutional provision that granted Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) special autonomy — is gone for good, and no state government can reverse it, irrespective of who comes to power, said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) veterans, reacting sharply to the statements made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his recent visits to the region.
Jammu and Kashmir is currently witnessing its first assembly election since the abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent scrapping of its statehood. The senior Congress leader, while attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for “taking away the statehood rights”, also criticised the RSS for the role the organisation has been playing in the region.
In the wake of Gandhi’s recent criticism of the abrogation of Article 370, and his ways to mention the RSS during his addresses, one of the senior joint general secretaries of the Sangh said the Congress leader is being “forgetful about his own actions”. His trip to Kashmir last year, where he was seen playing in the snow with his sister Priyanka, has sparked a deeper conversation about his grasp of the region’s realities.
The senior functionary said, “Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka playing in the snow of Kashmir became an iconic image, but when was the last time they experienced such freedom? Have they or their family ever roamed without a cordon of policemen in the region? This was possible only because of the abrogation of Article 370. Gandhi should think twice before speaking against national interest, and he should also not be forgetful about his actions a few months ago. Kashmir’s issues go beyond mere politics and elections—its proximity to Pakistan demands serious attention, not political games.”
WHY POLLS IN J&K ARE CRUCIAL FOR THE RSS
The RSS sees the removal of Article 370 as a significant ideological victory. For decades, the organisation and its affiliates argued that Article 370 was a symbol of separatism and the fractured identity of India. Its abrogation in 2019 marked a crucial step in their mission to fully integrate J&K into the Indian Union, where no region is treated differently based on religion or historical concessions, said a senior member of the RSS central committee.
“We have historical connections to the state which include the death of Jan Sangh founder Shyamaprasad Mookherjee, his movements, the close border access to Pakistan and the incidents of Kashmiri Pandits fleeing the region. For the RSS, this is one of the most high-stake-elections,” said the member.
Highlighting their historical ties to Jammu & Kashmir, the RSS-BJP combine is committed to restoring Kashmiri Pandit homelands and is banking on independents to strengthen the BJP’s foothold in the valley. “Even so, there are speculations over the Congress-National Conference block coming to power, we are still hopeful about the independent candidates fetching good numbers. With the BJP winning some seats in the valley, there is scope for having a coalition government there,” he added.
“Kashmiris have realised how these families of dynasts have treated Kashmir for decades. Look at the history, how the party was founded there. It was founded as the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference in1932 in the princely state, only to change its name to National Conference seven years later in 1939. They still don’t represent all Kashmiris,” said another senior RSS functionary.
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