Article 370 Was Introduced To Save Poor People Of J&K: Farooq Abdullah

National Conference Party president Farooq Abdullah said that Article 370 was implemented due to concerns that Punjabi people might migrate to Jammu and Kashmir after partition. “We didn’t bring Article 370. Maharaja Hari Singh introduced it in 1947.

It was done out of fear that the people of Punjab would come here after partition and settle down. The poor people of our state would sell their land at lesser rates because of that. Maharaja Hari Singh introduced the provision to save the poor people of Jammu and Kashmir.

This reserved the jobs for the locals of J-K and Ladakh. This was Article 370,” he said. The Supreme Court recently upheld the Union Government’s decision to abrogate Article 370. The verdict came in December 2023.

A five-judge Constitution bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant delivered the verdict in December, 2023. The bench delivered the verdict after hearing petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370.

The apex court said that Article 370 was a temporary provision in the constitution. “The Maharaja said that the Constitution of India would supersede. so, the Instrument of Accession ceases to exist with this. Article 370 was an interim arrangement because of the war conditions in the state. Textual reading also indicates that Article 370 provision is temporary,” the Supreme Court added.