Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Sep 25
Legislators from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Congress and People’s Conference (PC) on Friday backed a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly seeking restoration of full statehood, while the PDP called for references to Article 370 and Article 35-A to be added.
PDP legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Para said his party supported the resolution but considered its wording incomplete because it did not explicitly mention Article 370.
PDP MLA Aga Muntazir also backed the measure and urged the National Conference to amend it to include restoration of Article 370 and Article 35-A. He said the resolution should also condemn the constitutional changes made on Aug. 5, 2019.
People’s Conference leader Sajad Gani Lone criticised the BJP’s objections to the resolution and said the constitutional relationship between Jammu and Kashmir and India had to be viewed in the context of commitments and assurances surrounding the 1947 accession.
Lone said the immediate priority should be passage of the Assembly resolution, with any legal course to be considered later.
Congress MLA Nizamuddin Bhat said restoration of statehood was a commitment made in Parliament and referred to statements by the prime minister and home minister as well as observations by the Supreme Court.
He accused BJP members of disrupting discussion of what he described as an issue concerning the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The resolution, moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, calls on the Government of India for the “immediate and urgent restoration” of full statehood.
Its reference to an autonomy resolution passed by the Assembly in June 2000 prompted protests from BJP legislators, who entered the Well of the House and tore copies of the resolution.
BJP leaders have said they support restoration of statehood but oppose discussion of Article 370 and the 2000 autonomy resolution.
