Associated News Bureau

No Room for Pakistan Agenda in J&K; BJP Committed to Restoration of Statehood: Sunil Sharma

Srinagar, September 28: Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, on Monday said the Assembly should focus on public welfare, development and issues concerning the people rather than reopening settled constitutional matters. Sharma reiterated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains committed to restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and said the party would support a resolution confined exclusively to the issue of statehood. “Statehood is the agenda of the BJP, and we are firmly committed to it. If the Chief Minister brings only a Statehood resolution, we will support it. Statehood will be restored, but such a sensitive matter cannot be rushed or dictated by unilateral deadlines,” Sharma said. Objecting to the government resolution, Sharma said references to the 2000 autonomy resolution and the 2024 special-status resolution had unnecessarily linked the issue of statehood with the erstwhile constitutional arrangement of Jammu and Kashmir. “If the resolution is about Statehood, then it should remain about Statehood. Why are references to the 2000 resolution and the pre-1953 constitutional position being brought into it? These are separate issues,” he said. Sharma also sought clarification from the Congress party on its position, asking whether it supported restoration of the constitutional arrangement that existed before 1953, including provisions associated with Article 370 and Article 35A. “Congress supported the National Conference on this resolution. It must now tell the people clearly whether it supports bringing back the pre-1953 constitutional arrangement and Article 370 and Article 35A,” Sharma said. Referring to the security sensitivities of Jammu and Kashmir, the Leader of Opposition cautioned against raising issues that, according to him, could be exploited by forces seeking to disturb peace in the region. “Jammu and Kashmir is a sensitive region and we have neighbours who always try to take advantage of internal issues and disturb peace. There is no room for any Pakistan agenda in J&K. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India,” he asserted. Sharma also questioned Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather over allowing the resolution to be taken up despite objections raised by the BJP in the House. “The Speaker should have considered the objections raised by the opposition. The Legislative Assembly cannot be allowed to become a platform for reopening contentious constitutional issues under the cover of a Statehood resolution,” Sharma said. He said the BJP had moved a motion seeking the removal of the Speaker and would continue to pursue the matter through democratic and constitutional means. On the reference to the pre-1953 constitutional position, Sharma said the political settlement reflected in the 1975 Sheikh-Indira Accord could not be ignored while seeking to revive an earlier constitutional arrangement. He also referred to the National Conference's political positions on the issue over the years. Sharma announced that the BJP would launch protests across Jammu and Kashmir against the resolution, particularly its references to the pre-1953 constitutional position. “From Lakhanpur to Teetwal, the BJP will oppose this attempt to reopen issues that have no place in a resolution on Statehood. We will continue to expose the government’s failures on governance and development and raise the issues that directly concern the people,” Sharma said. He reiterated that the BJP's position was clear: the party supports restoration of statehood but opposes any attempt to link the issue with demands concerning the erstwhile constitutional arrangement of Jammu and Kashmir.