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Art 370 temporary provision in constitution: Govt

By Umakant Lakhera. Dated: 7/11/2019 9:54:44 AM

`Art 35 A added through a constitution order of Prez’

NEW DELHI, Jul 10: The Centre on Wednesday clarified that no foreign government or organisation has any locus standi in the matter of Article 370 and 35A concerning Jammu and Kashmir.
“Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Matters relating to the Constitution of India are internal and entirely for the Indian Parliament to deal with,” Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said in the Rajya Sabha in a written reply to Sanjay Seth (Samajwadi Party).
BJP MP Prabhat Jha wanted to know whether a citizen of J&K has dual citizenship due to Article 370 and whether the Pakistan citizens living in Kashmir (Pak-Administered Kashmir) also get Indian citizenship.
In a written reply, Minister Reddy denied any such possibility. “No citizen of India, including those belonging to the state of J&K, is eligible for dual citizenship under the provisions of the Indian Constitution or the Constitution of J&K,” he said.
He clarified that Article 370, which provides for special status to Jammu and Kashmir, is a temporary provision in the Constitution and Article 35A, which gives special rights to the natives of the state, was added through a Constitution order issued by the President of India.
Reddy told Rajya Sabha that at present, Article 370 is contained as a temporary provision with respect to Jammu and Kashmir in Part XXI (Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions) of the Constitution.
“At present, Article 35A is contained in the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954 which was added through the Constitution Order issued by the President of India under Article 370,” he said in a written reply.
Reddy said Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and matters relating to the Constitution are internal and entirely for the Parliament to deal with.
“No foreign government or organisation has any locus standi in the matter,” he said.
The reply came in response to a question on whether the government is going to repeal articles 370 and 35A and whether repeal of these articles in any way violate United Nations regulations or any international obligation of the country.