Srinagar: 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 te Centre to restore J&K’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 and 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 J&K when the first cabinet meet is shrouded in secrecy about a resolution on restoring statehood but there is not a squeak about restoring J&K’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 J& 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 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 Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), said.
He said it seems “something is going on between the NC and the BJP”.
“They are playing hide-and-seek. The Centre has to restore statehood according to the directions of the Supreme Court.
“Abdullah just wants to be counted in martyrs, he wants to run away from the other main issues… This is like the betrayal done by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah when he became the chief minister from being the prime minister before,” Rashid added.
Taking a dig at Abdullah for allegedly changing his attire three times on the day of his swearing-in, the AIP chief said it meant the chief minister was very happy to take oath, when he should have been serious that day.
“I am not attacking him on this. This is his personal thing and he is at liberty to do what he wants. But, since he is the chief minister, we have to observe these things.
“This means he is not bothered about the real issues. It seems he is trying to justify his friendship with the BJP like he praised the PM and HM,” he added.
The Baramulla MP said the J&K government needs support from the Centre and “we want the Centre to support the J&K government on administrative and developmental issues”. But it does not mean that Abdullah has to leave his stand, he said.
“He is looking for an excuse to build up his relationship with Modi and the BJP government. Abdullah should clarify if the BJP remains in power for 100 years, should Kashmiris wait for 100 years to ask for their rights.
“I am not talking about seeking their rights, the political struggle. But if we cannot even talk about it, then it is unfortunate,” he added.
Rashid also asked the government to restore the practice of ‘Darbar Move’, the bi-annual practice of shifting the seat of power for six months in winters to Jammu and in summers to Srinagar.
“He (Abdullah) should tell the people which city is the capital of the UT — whether it is Srinagar or Jammu? Where will his government sit?
“We want the tradition of the Darbar Move to continue. It is a bonding between the two regions,” he said.
People’s Conference chief Sajad Gani 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 J&K.
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 the Assembly. Why are we so keen to trivialise everything,” he questioned.
Lone also 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.”
