Srinagar, Sep 28: Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma on Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was committed to the restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir but would not accept any attempt to link the demand with the Assembly’s earlier resolutions on “greater autonomy and restoration of special status” as it amounted to fulfilling Pakistan’s agenda.
Addressing a press conference here after the Legislative Assembly passed the resolution seeking immediate restoration of full statehood, Sharma said the BJP would support the resolution if it focused exclusively on statehood, accusing the National Conference-led government of bringing references to earlier resolutions into an issue that should be confined to the restoration of J&K’s statehood.
“If the CM brings only a Statehood resolution, we will support it. Statehood is the agenda of the BJP, and we are committed to it. It will come,” Sharma said.
He objected to the references to the resolutions passed by the Assembly in 2000 and 2024, arguing that these went beyond the demand for statehood and brought the question of Jammu and Kashmir’s earlier constitutional position into the debate.
“The resolution was moved by the CM. If it was only for Statehood, we would have taken part. But the references to 2000 and 2024 violate the Constitution,” he said, adding that “by choosing this way, NC is fulfilling the Pakistani agenda and wants to go back to the era when Kashmir would witness killings everyday.”
The BJP leader questioned the Congress’s position on the issue, asking whether it supported a return to the constitutional arrangement that existed before 1953, including provisions associated with Article 370 and Article 35A.
Sharma alleged that the National Conference and the Congress were attempting to revive contentious political issues under the cover of the statehood demand. He maintained that the BJP would not allow the Assembly debate to be used to reopen questions relating to the erstwhile constitutional arrangement.
“It is not that the opposition will oppose everything. J&K is a sensitive state, and we have neighbours who always try to take advantage of things and disturb peace,” he said.
Maintaining that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India, Sharma asserted that there was no room for what he described as a Pakistan agenda in the Union Territory.
He said the BJP supported the restoration of statehood and maintained that the issue should be pursued without linking it to demands concerning the pre-1953 constitutional position or the restoration of special status.
‘BJP to launch protests across J&K’
Announcing the party’s next course of action, LoP Sharma said the BJP would launch protests across Jammu and Kashmir against the resolution, particularly its references to the pre-1953 period and the earlier resolutions on autonomy and special status.
The announcement came after BJP legislators protested in the Assembly over the resolution, with the party maintaining that its objection was to the references beyond the restoration of statehood.
The BJP has consistently argued that the demand for statehood should not be linked to the restoration of Article 370 or the Assembly’s 2000 resolution seeking greater autonomy.
The 2000 resolution, passed during the government headed by Farooq Abdullah, sought restoration of greater autonomy as it existed before August 9, 1953. The Assembly also passed a resolution in November 2024 seeking restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has defended the inclusion of references to the earlier resolutions, maintaining that the House’s previous decisions should not be disregarded while reiterating the demand for statehood.
The dispute over these references triggered repeated confrontations between the ruling alliance and BJP members during the Assembly proceedings.
‘Questions CM’s timeline, targets Speaker’
On the timeline for restoration of statehood, Sharma questioned the Chief Minister’s authority to set a deadline, saying the decision rested with the Union government.
“Who is the CM to set a timeline? Statehood will be given, and we are committed to it. Discussions should not be taken in a hurry,” he said.
Sharma also criticised Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather for allowing the resolution to be taken up despite objections from BJP members. The BJP had moved a motion seeking the Speaker’s removal, adding another flashpoint to the proceedings.
The statehood resolution was passed amid protests and disruptions by BJP legislators over its references to the 2000 autonomy resolution and the 2024 special-status resolution.
