Digvijaya Singh's remark on revoking Article 370 stirs row; BJP's Shekhawat compares Congress to Pakistan in response

Digvijaya Singh

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said the party will have to "relook" the decision to revoke Article 370, which granted special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Singh made the comments in a leaked Clubhouse chat with Shahzeb Jillani, a Pakistan-based journalist currently residing in Germany, News18.com reported.

"Democracy was not there in Kashmir when they revoked Article 370, 'insaniyat' was not there as they had put everyone behind bars. Meanwhile, 'Kashmiriyat' is something that is the fundamentals of secularism. Because in a Muslim-majority state there was a Hindu king and both worked together. In fact, the reservation in Kashmir was given to Kashmiri pandits, therefore, the decision of revoking Article 370 and reducing the statehood of J&K, is a sad decision. And the Congress party will certainly have to relook at this issue," Singh said, as quoted by the website.

Article 370 was abrogated on August 5, 2019 and the state was bifurcated into two Union Territories - Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

The BJP has criticised Singh's remark, with the party's national spokesperson Sambit Patra asking Congress to clarify its position on the issue.

"What do Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi think about Digvijaya's Clubhouse statement? Is this Congress' stand too? We demand Rahul Gandhi to hold a press conference and clarify," Patra said, as quoted by ANI.

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat tweeted, "Pak & Congress leadership are on same pedestal."

Responding to the criticism, Singh tweeted, "Illiterates cannot understand the difference between shall and consider."

अनपढ़ लोगों की जमात को
Shall और Consider में फ़र्क़
शायद समझ में नहीं आता।

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— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) June 12, 2021

In a Club House chat, Rahul Gandhi’s top aide Digvijaya Singh tells a Pakistani journalist that if Congress comes to power they will reconsider the decision of abrogating Article 370…

Really? यही तो पाकिस्तान चाहता है… pic.twitter.com/x08yDH8JqF

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 12, 2021

Once in power, Congress will relook on abrogation of Article 370 - Digvijaya Singh

Pak & Congress leadership are on same pedestal - poor governance, low credibility, bleak future & yet dream about freeing Kashmir from India

Birds of the same feather flock together!#Clubhouse

— Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) June 12, 2021