Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that Article 35A of the Constitution is hampering the development of Jammu and Kashmir instead of helping the state. In a Facebook post published today, Jaitley said that Article 35A was surreptitiously included by a Presidential Notice in the 1954 Constitution, and that it was not part of the original constitution or inserted as a constitutional amendment. He also asked if Nehru’s policies for the state were a historical mistake or if it was the right course to follow.
Jaitley said that as the article discriminates between the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Indian citizens from out of state, the state is suffering. Since people outside the state can not get jobs, can not be owners and their children can not be admitted to government institutions, people from out of state are not willing to go to the state. The companies also do not want to invest in the state for the same reason. Article 35A has impeded investment and dismantled the state’s economy, Jaitley said.
The finance minister added that Article 35A is constitutionally vulnerable, and although many use it as a political shield, it has harmed the common citizen of the state. He denied a booming economy, economic activity and employment, he said.
The Complete text of Arun Jaitley’s Blog below:
