SRINAGAR :PRE
Senior BJP leader and MLA Sham Lal Sharma, accompanied by MLAs Dr. Narinder Singh, Ch. Vikram Randhawa, Yudhvir Sethi, Arvind Gupta and Surinder Bhagat, addressed a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu, and strongly criticised the NC-Congress government over the resolution moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the ongoing autumn session of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
Sham Sharma said that the NC-Congress government was attempting to overrun its constitutional domain and challenge the authority of Parliament and the Supreme Court, while using the Assembly to revive issues concerning autonomy, separate identity and the pre-1953 arrangement, which, he said, posed a serious danger to the sovereignty and integrity of the nation. The resolution moved by the Chief Minister today referred to the Assembly resolutions of June 26, 2000 and November 6, 2024, besides calling for the immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood to J&K.
Sham Sharma said that although the autumn session of the J&K Assembly was progressing, the proceedings had, according to him, not been conducted properly by the government and the Chair right from the first day. He alleged that the government was presently on the backfoot because of its failures and that the Speaker was attempting to provide a “safe passage” to the government instead of ensuring the proper functioning and sanctity of the House.
Sharma said the government was trying to create an issue out of thin air to divert attention from the basic issues concerning the people. He asserted that the BJP was committed to pursuing positive politics and standing firmly with the people of Jammu & Kashmir. He said the BJP would continue to raise the issues of the masses before the government and work towards finding the best possible solutions for the people.
Referring to the developments witnessed over the past several days, Sham Sharma said that the NC government had today once again displayed what he described as its “old mentality and old agenda.” He said that the National Conference had once again revealed the agenda associated with its earlier political history, referring specifically to its antecedent as the Muslim Conference, and accused the NC of attempting to give “rebirth” to the politics of death and destruction in Jammu & Kashmir.
Sham Sharma said that the Chief Minister today placed a resolution before the House, but alleged that the established rules and framework governing the proceedings were not followed. He questioned how the Speaker could permit the Chief Minister to move such a resolution when, according to him, it had not been properly tabled before the House in accordance with the prescribed procedure. He said the Speaker had a responsibility to maintain the sanctity of the House and uphold the rule book, rather than permitting the government to proceed in a manner that, in his view, compromised parliamentary procedure.
Sham Sharma described the Chief Minister as the head of a “failed government” and said that the resolution being pressed by him appeared to be in continuation of an earlier resolution presented in 2024. He questioned the very purpose of presenting such a resolution, asserting that the J&K government has no jurisdiction over matters beyond its constitutional domain.
Sharma made it clear that the coalition government in J&K led by the National Conference was not supreme to the Parliament of India and could not place itself above the Supreme Court of India. He described the attempt as an act of “utter foolishness” on the part of the Chief Minister and the Speaker and said the Speaker could have avoided the situation by maintaining the sanctity and dignity of the House. He also held the Congress equally responsible, alleging that it was supporting and participating in what he described as the “utter foolishness” of the NC-led government.
Sham Sharma said the most serious concern was the reference in today's resolution to the resolution of June 26, 2000, which, he said, represented the demand for restoration of the pre-1953 arrangement and greater autonomy. The 2000 resolution had sought restoration of greater autonomy to the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir.
He said that the present resolution also referred to the November 6, 2024 resolution, and questioned why two such earlier resolutions were being brought into the present resolution concerning statehood. The latest resolution indeed states that it is in addition to the resolutions passed by the House on June 26, 2000 and November 6, 2024.
Sharma said the present resolution, read together with the two earlier resolutions, is an alarming development and alleged that the government was attempting to move Jammu & Kashmir towards the politics and demands associated with the pre-1953 period. He said the references raise questions about demands concerning autonomy, separate identity and other arrangements that, according to him, go far beyond the issue of restoration of statehood.
He asked whether the NC-Congress government was seeking to challenge the Supreme Court of India and the authority of Parliament through resolutions passed by the J&K Assembly. Sharma stressed that an elected government of J&K cannot claim powers superior to the constitutional institutions of the Union of India.
Sham Sharma further stressed that Congress was “hand in gloves” with the National Conference in the entire episode. He demanded a clear answer from the Congress leadership in Jammu & Kashmir as well as from the national leadership of the Congress, stating that both were answerable not only to the people of J&K but also to the people of India for their position on the resolution and its references to earlier autonomy-related resolutions.
He said the BJP had a clear and unequivocal commitment to restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir at the appropriate time. However, he alleged that the resolution moved by the NC-led government was not confined to the legitimate demand for statehood and instead sought to bring back issues concerning autonomy, separate identity and the pre-1953 arrangement.
Sham Sharma accused the NC-led government of wanting to play spoilsport on the issue of statehood, alleging that while it speaks about statehood, its actual political approach is aimed at seeking privileges and arrangements linked to an earlier constitutional framework. He said the BJP would not allow the people of J&K to be taken back to what he described as the “dark ages” under the garb of a statehood demand.
He further said that the government had mentioned “nefarious designs” of an independent or autonomous region under the garb of statehood, and warned that such an approach, in his words, would be detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India and could once again disturb peace and stability in Jammu & Kashmir.
Sham Sharma said the issue was therefore not merely about the restoration of statehood but about the intent and political direction reflected through the references incorporated into today's resolution. He said the BJP supports restoration of statehood through the appropriate constitutional process, but would strongly oppose any attempt to use the issue to revive demands for autonomy, separate identity or a pre-1953 arrangement.
In a strong demand, Sham Sharma appealed to the Union Home Minister to immediately consider dissolution of the J&K government, clearly stating that the government had today crossed its constitutional limits by passing a resolution that, in his assessment, endangered the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.
He reiterated that the BJP would continue to remain committed to the people of Jammu & Kashmir, raise their genuine concerns, pursue positive politics and oppose every move that, in its assessment, seeks to undermine the constitutional unity and integrity of the country.
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