Article 370 works as an obstacle in implementing many schemes in J&K: Rajnath Singh

Delhi: Ahead of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that Article 370 was a national issue for them and that there should be an extensive debate over its utility.

He also said that there were many schemes and projects which could be implemented in J&K but 'Article 370 works as an obstacle'.

On the prospects of the BJP in the upcoming polls he said, “The BJP has emerged as the frontrunner in the ongoing Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.”

Another BJP Shahnawaz Hussain today said that the party had neither diluted its stand on abrogation of Article 370 in J&K nor sidelined the issue in the assembly poll campaign in the state.

It said it was contesting the assembly polls in the state on the planks of providing corruption-free and dynasty-free government and development of the state.

The remarks by BJP came after it came under sharp attack from opposition parties for diluting or deviating from its stand on abrogation of Article 370 in the state during campaigning for assembly polls.

"There has been a lot of discussion on the issue of Article 370, including those by our opponents. We have neither left any issue nor sidelined the issue. We are going to polls with all issues,” he said as per PTI and added, “Instead of Article 370, the issue that this Vidhan Sabha poll is being contested is for providing a corruption-free, a dynasty-free government that ensures development of the state.

With PTI inputs