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Several students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) resorted to sloganeering on Thursday, 3 October, as Union Minister Jitendra Singh delivered a talk on the campus on the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. The sloganeering was met by a counter-protest which led to a scuffle.
Singh was invited to the varsity to deliver a lecture on 'Abrogation of Article 370: Peace, Stability and Development in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh'.
Singh, during the talk, hailed scrapping of provisions of Article 370 saying the legislation had caused isolation of Jammu and Kashmir's youth and facilitated terrorism in the state.
Singh who hails from Jammu, in a lighter vein termed their sloganeering as a “grand welcome” saying he was glad that the students were "curious and enthusiastic" to express themselves on the subject.
Vice Chancellor Jagdesh Kumar asserted that JNU with “one voice” supported scrapping of Article 370 provisions like the rest of India.
Singh said those under “restrictive house arrest” in Kashmir were in fact enjoying the hospitality.
Several prominent Kashmiri leaders including Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and PDP's Mehbooba Mufti are under detention.
Singh also claimed that no curfew was imposed in the state in the last six weeks.
He said that the ordinary people in Srinagar were happy with the scrapping of Article 370 which he termed as “huge impediment” in the path of development and investment in the state.
“In the next 3-4 months, amazing development will be seen in Jammu and Kashmir because the hurdle (Article 370) has been removed,” he said.
Singh said had Jawaharlal Nehru allowed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to deal with Jammu and Kashmir like he did with other princely states, there would been no issue of Article 370.
He attacked the Congress for protesting against Article 370 saying it is doing so because it could not achieve what Nehru desired.
“So you are belying your own forefathers, your own patriarchs and trying to be dissentful simply because you could not carry forward the wishes of your forefather and somebody else has done it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the JNU Students' Union condemned the talk, saying, “It is ironic that the administration which has wrecked the peace and stability of JNU is inviting a minister from a party which is destroying the peace and stability of the country.”
(With inputs from PTI)
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