Srinagar, Oct 18: Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday described the reported resolution by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led cabinet seeking restoration of statehood only and not Article 370 as an “utter surrender” and a departure from the stand of the ruling National Conference (NC).
While there has been no word from either the government or the NC, a Jammu-based newspaper ‘Daily Excelsior’ carried a report that the cabinet had passed a resolution urging the Centre to restore JK’s statehood.
The report also said the chief minister will travel to Delhi to handover the draft of the resolution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Efforts to reach out to the chief minister, his cabinet colleagues or the ruling party leaders for a comment on the report did not fructify.
Various political parties, including the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), People’s Conference (PC) and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), denounced the move, reminding the NC of its poll promise to “strive to restore (Articles) 370-35A and statehood as prior to August 5, 2019”, and saying it was a departure from the pre-election stand.
In its manifesto, the NC had promised that in the interim period, “we will endeavour to redraw the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, and the Transaction of Business of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Rules, 2019”.
The manifesto promised that the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, in its first list of business after elections, will pass a resolution against the Centre’s decision to strip the region of its statehood and special status.
Iltija Mufti, PDP leader and daughter of party president Mehbooba Mufti, asked whether it bodes well for JK when the first cabinet meet is shrouded in secrecy about a resolution on restoring statehood but there is not a squeak about restoring JK’s special status.
“Isn’t this fait accompli, whitewashing & legitimising Delhi’s illegal brutal disempowerment & disrobing of India’s only Muslim majority state? Not a scale back but utter surrender,” she said in a post on X.
PDP youth wing president Waheed Para said Abdullah’s first resolution on statehood is nothing less than ratification of the August 5, 2019 decision.
“No resolution on Article 370 and scaling down the demand to mere statehood is a huge setback, especially after seeking votes on the promise of restoring Article 370,” Para, who has won the assembly election from Pulwama, said in a post on X.
Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid said the reports of the resolution passed by the JK government seeking restoration of statehood only and not Article 370 were “very painful” and a “departure” from the principled stand of the ruling NC.
“There are reports that a resolution has been passed to seek restoration of the statehood. It is his right to pass anything. But, we want to remind Abdullah that you contested the election on Articles 370 and 35A and statehood.
“So these reports that only a resolution on statehood has been passed is very painful. It means a departure from the principled stand of his party,” Rashid said at a press conference here.
He said the resolution on statehood only makes it clear that Abdullah, who is also the NC vice president, is “playing into the hands of the BJP”.
He said PM Modi Union Home Minister Amit Shah have promised the restoration of statehood a number of times.
“So why is Omar seeking the same thing? Why is he seeking what the BJP is already ready to give?
“It means he is not ready to talk about (Articles) 370 and 35A. It is just an eyewash and he is deviating from the agenda on which he contested the elections,” Rashid, who heads the AIP, said.
People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone wondered why the resolution on statehood reportedly passed by the cabinet was “shrouded in mystery and secrecy that only one newspaper publishes it”.
“I hope the CS (chief secretary) of Jammu and Kashmir has notified as it is the protocol,” Lone said on X.
Lone, who is an MLA-elect from Handwara, however, said the resolution should have been passed in the assembly rather than the cabinet.
“I very humbly state that the will of the people of J&K is reflected in the Assembly and not in the cabinet. The cabinet is a majoritarian institution of governance,” he said, adding that it does not reflect all shades and opinions according to the will of the people of JK.
Lone said to the best of his knowledge, the Assembly is the proper institution all across the country for addressing major issues like that of statehood or Article 370, he said.
“When the NC government passed a resolution on autonomy, they passed it in the Assembly and not through a cabinet resolution. What has changed now?
“Fail to understand why this resolution should not have been reserved for Assembly. Why are we so keen to trivialise everything,” he questioned.
The separatist-turned-mainstream politician said he would have loved to see which way the BJP and other parties vote on statehood and on Article 370 resolution when it is presented in the Assembly.
Reminding the NC of its pre-poll commitment, Lone said, “We are not demanding or expecting anything extraordinary. Do what you promised the people of J&K in your manifesto.”
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