The SC had on Tuesday said that Article 370 was not a temporary provision and had acquired permanent status through years of existence making its abrogation impossible. (Photo: PTI)

Srinagar: J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti has welcomed the Supreme Court’s observation that Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, is not a temporary provision. “The Hon’ble Supreme Court’s observation regarding its (Article 370) permanent status is a welcome assurance to our people,” she wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter.com on Wednesday.  She also said that it not only safeguards the territorial integrity of J&K, but also “plays a bigger role” in preserving the religious, cultural and linguistic integrity of the state. The SC had on Tuesday said that Article 370 was not a temporary provision and had acquired permanent status through years of existence making its abrogation impossible. It has given the Central government three weeks to respond.

SC’s view on J&K’s special status has already created ripples in political circles. Opposition Congress has asked, “With SC observing that Article 370 had acquired permanence, does the BJP still stand by its demand to abrogate Article 370?”

Local analysts say that the SC’s observation has come as a big relief to Mufti and her People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which have been repeatedly targeted for choosing BJP, which is deadly against Article 370 and other laws that protect the special constitutional status of J&K and comes in its “complete integration” in the country as its ally.

However, works minister and chief spokesman of the State government, Syed Naeem Akhter, rejected the criticism as unwarranted. He said, “To protect J&K’s special status is a clear provision of our ‘Agenda for the Alliance’.  It is written there that as far as J&K’s special position is concerned, nothing that may dilute it will be allowed to happen. We’re committed to it.”

He added that the SC’s observation is a “pleasant step” which will help towards establishing peace in the state.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) has while reacting to SC observation said that the Apex court has reiterated the “reality” about the Article 370. Its State Secretary and four-time MLA, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami said that CPI (M) position has always been that the Article 370 is in the basic structure of Indian Constitution and with SC reiterating it there is no doubt left now.

“Even if some party or group of parties having majority in Parliament claim that they will abolish the Article 370, reality is that they can’t abrogate it. The position of BJP and Sangh Parivar on Article 370 is hollow and they are only doing it for electoral gains. Their claims on Article 370 are unfounded that they can abrogate Article 370,” he said.