Srinagar, Sep 25: Rejecting the resolution moved by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on statehood restoration in the Legislative Assembly, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma Friday said that Omar must clarify why he continued in the NDA government when the autonomy resolution passed in the J&K Assembly was “thrown into dustbin.”
“I want to ask the Chief Minister wasn’t he part of the then NDA government when autonomy resolution was rejected and thrown into dustbin. Didn’t he continue,” Sharma told reporters. He said refrences of autonomy and special status in the “statehood resolution” amounts to “befooling people” and BJP rejects its completely.
“BJP was prepared to participate in a debate on statehood issue only but would oppose any attempt to bring issues related to Article 370 or the autonomy resolution into the discussion,” he said. “Today’s resolution moved by the Chief Minister is controversial and disputed. The BJP had rejected the autonomy resolution and even tore it up. Why is that resolution being discussed again in today’s resolution?”
He also sought clarity from the Congress leadership over its position on the autonomy resolution and Article 370, asking whether the party supported the positions contained in the resolutions or stood with the government.
“Congress should clear its position, from Rahul Gandhi to the State Chief of Congress. Is it with this resolution? Is it with the pre-1953 resolution? Is it with the resolution of 370, or is it with the government?” he said.
The LoP said the BJP had no objection to a discussion on restoration of statehood and challenged the government to debate the issue in the Assembly.
“If you want to debate statehood, we challenge you. We are ready to debate on the statehood issue only,” Sharma said, alleging that the government was invoking the statehood issue while failing to address governance-related concerns.
He further alleged that the statehood issue was being used to “hide its failures” and delay its restoration.
“The BJP rejects this resolution. The so-called autonomy and the resolution of 370 and we will not allow debate on this issue,” Sharma said. Sharma said the BJP would continue its protest until the Congress clarified its position on Article 370 and the autonomy resolution and the government responded to the questions raised by the Opposition.
