BJP lashes out at Digvijaya Singh’s claim that Congress will ‘re-look’ Article 370 abrogation

The BJP has responded sternly to a leaked audio tape of senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh indicating that when the party comes to power it may “relook” the removal of Article 370, which accorded Jammu and Kashmir special status.

The recording was made during a chat on the Clubhouse app, during which Singh was responding to a query from a Pakistani journalist. Clubhouse is an audio chat room app that is exclusively available to those who have been invited.

He was replying to a question on the "way forward" on the subject if the Modi administration loses power.

In the audio, Singh is heard saying, "Losing the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir is extremely sad decision. And the Congress party would definitely like to have a re-look at the decision."

The Congress party member appears to be referencing to former Prime Minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee's "Insaaniyat (humanity), Kashmiriyat, jamhooriyat (democracy)" policy to Kashmir in the audio.

He further went on to say, "Democracy was not there in Kashmir when they revoked article 370. Then "insaniyat" was not there because they had put everyone behind bars. And Kashmiriyat is something, which is basically the fundamental of secularism.”

Following the release of the recording on social media, some BJP officials criticized Singh for his remark.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “This is the same person who had dubbed the Pulwama attack as an accident and described the 26/11 Mumbai attack as an RSS conspiracy,”

Amit Malviya, head of BJP’s IT cell, took to Twitter and said, “In a Club House chat, Rahul Gandhi’s top aide Digvijaya Singh tells a Pakistani journalist that if Congress comes to power they will reconsider the decision of abrogating Article 370… Really?”

Singh also took to Twitter to react to the criticism, he said, “Illiterates cannot understand the difference between shall and consider.”

The Congress's unease at Singh's remarks was evident. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) decision of August 6th, 2019, clearly outlined the party's position on J&K, according to spokesperson Pawan Khera.