Article 370: Vaiko says promise to people not kept

MDMK leader Vaiko on Monday described the government's move to scrap Article 370 of the Constitution that gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir a day of "sorrow", saying the promise made to the people of Kashmir had not been kept.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Vaiko said: "Today is a day of sorrow because we have not kept our promise. When the Pakistani troops entered the terrain of Kashmir, then Maharaja Hari Singh sent an emissary to Jawaharlal Nehru... The Instrument of Accession was signed."

Vaiko said that while Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdullah decided to go with India, he placed one condition: "The individuality and originality of the state of J&K will not be compromised."

He added that Nehru had even offered to hold a plebiscite to determine the views of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Slamming the Congress, Vaiko said: "A fraud was committed by the Congress." He accused the Congress of killing democracy all these years. 

"When Puducherry is claiming statehood, you are equating it with Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh," he said.

Referring to the deployment of security forces in the Valley, Vaiko said: "For the last few days the Army was being deployed. My heart is paining because it (Kashmir) should not become a Kosovo or South Sudan. 

"There are countries which are opposed to us ... they will use this card. The UN will send the Human Rights Council... (US President Donald) Trump is playing his card very carefully." -IANS