Congress had many opportunities to abrogate Article 370 but didn't dare: Nadda

Patna (Bihar) [India], Feb 22 (ANI): BJP President JP Nadda on Saturday said that the Congress party had several opportunities to Abrogate Article 370, which conferred special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, but added that it didn't dare to do it.
"Congress got a majority government several times. Jawaharlal Nehru and Mrs (Indira) Gandhi each got the majority twice. Rajeev Gandhi came to power with a majority once but they could not date abrogate Article 370," Nadda said addressing a public gathering here.
He said that it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government that came to power with 303 MPs in May and abrogated Article 370 in August.
"People of Jammu and Kashmir are very happy after the abrogation of Article 370. You must have heard the speech made by Ladakh BJP MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal in the Parliament. He had said, 'Shasan karne mein aur raj karne mein antar hai' (there is a difference between governing and ruling)," Nadda said.
The Narendra Modi government had in August last year scrapped the provision of Article 370 of the Constitution that granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kasmir. The erstwhile state was also bifurcated into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
"Our party is based on ideology, ideas and organisation. There are around 2,500 political parties in the country. Fifty-nine of these parties have received recognition from the election commission on the state level and there are seven national parties. However, most of these parties are based on nepotism," he added.
Nadda, who was in Patna to inaugurate 11 new district party offices in the state, said that former party president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had planned that no district in the country shall remain without a BJP party office.
"Land for 590 party offices has been acquired and 487 offices have already come up. The process to acquire land in other districts is underway," he said.
"Bihar has changed in the last five years. We have to put all our efforts so that an NDA government comes to power in the state in the upcoming assembly election in November," Nadda added. The visit assumes significance as Bihar's 243 member Legislative Assembly is scheduled to go for polls later this year. (ANI)