CPI-M Leader VP Dhankhar’s Claims on Article 370

A historical debate surrounding the drafting of Article 370 heats up as CPI-M leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami refutes Indian Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s claims about Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s involvement in its creation.

CPI-M senior leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has strongly contradicted Indian Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s statement regarding Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s alleged refusal to draft Article 370. Tarigami, in his response on the micro-blogging site X, described Dhankhar’s assertion as a blatant distortion of historical facts.

Tarigami emphasized that Omar Abdullah’s claim that Dr. Ambedkar refused to draft Article 370 was not supported by any credible historical records. According to Tarigami, nowhere in Ambedkar’s writings, including his well-known book Pakistan or the Partition of India, is there any mention of such a refusal. He stated that the actual credit for drafting Article 370 goes to Gopalaswami Ayyangar, who was a member of the seven-member drafting committee that played a central role in formulating the Indian Constitution.

Tarigami further clarified that Article 370, originally introduced as Article 306A, was adopted in the Constituent Assembly on October 17, 1949. He underscored that the historical facts surrounding the creation of the article were being misrepresented, and the true contributors should be acknowledged.

In his statement, Tarigami also criticized Vice President Dhankhar’s other claims, specifically about Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), which he claimed did not align with the ground realities of the region. He reiterated the importance of basing political discourse on factual history and reality, rather than on distorted narratives that can mislead the public.

The controversy has sparked renewed discussions about the origins of Article 370 and the ongoing political debates surrounding Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)’s constitutional status. Tarigami’s comments reflect his commitment to preserving the integrity of historical facts and challenging political narratives that misrepresent the truth.