Article 35-A is untouchable: Hakeem Yaseen

Srinagar, Aug 26: Chairman PDF and MLA Khansahib Hakeem Yaseen has reiterated that Art.35-A of the Constitution of India is untouchable adding that any misadventure to tinker with it was fraught with disastrous consequences.
In a statement, Hakeem Yaseen said that Art.35-A is a Constitutional guarantee for safety to the special identity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, cautioning that no one should touch article 35A as doing so is against the overall national and state interests.
Hakeem Yaseen has said it was a matter of great satisfaction that all right thinking people and civil society groups both at national and state levels have united to defend Art.35-A adding that it was right time to demand restoration of pre-1953 position to the state which would automatically safeguard our all concerns and reservations.
He said all the mainstream political parties and civil society groups in the state should present a united face to demand restoration of pre-1953 position instead of defending Art.35-A only. He said once 1953 position is restored, it would automatically address all the concerns and apprehensions of the people of state.
Hakeem Yaseen said that petitions against Article 35-A have earlier also, on three occasions, been dismissed by the Supreme Court as this Article has a strong constitutional footing.
“There is a strong case in favour of the art 35A as it has been upheld by SC in Sampat Prakash case, Lakhanpal Vs president of India, state Bank of India V/S Santosh Gupta, Hakeem Yaseen maintained adding that Article 35A was introduced pursuant to the Delhi agreement after it was approved by constituent assembly of the state, discussed in the Indian parliament after Nehru made a statement informing the Parliament that GOI has accepted and honored the desire of the state to retain its state subject laws. So a constitutional guarantee in the form of Art.35-A was introduced in the constitution of India, Hakeem added.