
UBT Sena MP Sanjay Raut supports call for special Parliament session, says party already signed draft proposal
Speaking to ANI, Raut said, 'I was told that we are meeting today in the Constitution Club regarding a draft on the Special Session of the Parliament. Our party has already signed the draft. If the Opposition parties demand that a special session should be held, then it should be done...'
The meeting will be held today at the Constitution Club in New Delhi. The meeting of opposition leaders under the INDIA alliance aimed to build consensus on demanding a special parliamentary session on major national issues.
Meanwhile, reacting to Congress leader Salman Khurshid's controversial remark regarding Article 370, he said, 'You go abroad as a representative of the country, not of any party. No one can set the standard of patriotism on opposing or supporting Article 370...'
Earlier on Friday, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also responded to Congress leader Salman Khurshid's comments on Article 370, acknowledging that the former External Affairs Minister had admitted the provision was a blunder.
Poonawalla highlighted the positive changes in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370, citing increased prosperity and people's voices being heard.
Speaking to ANI, Poonawala said, 'Salman Khurshid is a senior Congress leader and has been External Affairs Minister previously and today he also accepts how 'Pakistan-Parasti, Pattharbazi and Problem of Pakistan' was increasing. Now that Article 370 has been removed, there is Prosperity and People's voice is audible... Article 370 was a blunder of the then governments and especially Nehru, this is accepted by Salman Khurshid himself... But even today, some Congress leaders back the Article 370...'
Khurshid had earlier defended Congress's stand on Article 370. He said that Article 370 had created a feeling that Jammu and Kashmir was separate from the rest of India.
While addressing Indonesian think tanks and academics in Jakarta, Indonesia, Khurshid stated, 'Kashmir had a major problem for a long time. Much of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an article called 370 of the Constitution... But Article 370 was abrogated and it was finally put to an end.'
Also, earlier today, all-party delegation member Salman Khurshid, said that Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir must be given back to India.
Khurshid, in conversation with ANI, said that India has clearly stated that talks, including talks on the Indus Water Treaty, can happen only when Pakistan's commitment to peace is clear.
'There is a long standing unanimous resolution of parliament of India saying that the Pakistan occupied Kashmir must be re-vacated and given back to India and as you know that even in the assembly of Jammu andKashmir, the seats that should have been in that area are kept vacant just for this reason that we have we have a long term commitment that the area is to come back to us. That's one important factor,' he said.
Khurshid further said that Pakistan negated attempts at making peace, as it continued to attack India over the years.
'The second is that the government has reiterated this because, you know, often questions are asked about whether you will talk or not, etc. We have expressed our distress that repeated attempts to speak and negotiate have been betrayed by Pakistan by a subsequent attack and several attacks that happened over the years,' he said.
Khurshid is part of an all-party delegation led by JD-U MP Sanjay Kumar Jha. The delegation includes Aparajita Sarangi (BJP), TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, Brij Lala (BJP), John Brittas (CPI-M), Pradan Baruah (BJP), Hemang Joshi (BJP), Salman Khurshid, and Mohan Kumar.
The delegation is visiting many countries as part of India's global outreach against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. The delegation has visited Japan, South Korea, and Singapore so far. (ANI)
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