Cong supported Art 370 modification, but not BJP's high-handed way: Manmohan

Responding to a question on the Congress' stand on the abrogation of Article 370, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that the party voted in favour of the move, but opposed the "high-handedness" with which it was introduced in Parliament.

Mumbai:The Congress does not need a certificate of patriotism from anyone, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday, pointing out that it voted in favour of the abrogation of Article 370, but opposed the high-handed way in which it was done.

Addressing a press conference here, Singh said the Congress opposes the "high-handedness" with which Article 370 of the Constitution - which gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir - was introduced in Parliament.

Singh's comments came at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP have been attacking Congress on Article 370 during the campaign for the Maharashtra Assembly polls.

Earning goodwill of the people of Jammu and Kashmir was necessary before such a move, the former prime minister said.

"Congress voted in favour of the move (the abrogation) in Parliament, not against it. Congress feels that Article 370 is a temporary measure, but if a change is to be brought, it has to be with the goodwill of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

Singh also added that Congress does not need anyone’s certificate about its patriotic credentials, as its record during the freedom struggle is well-known, he said, adding that the BJP or its parent RSS were not a part of the nationalist movement.

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