Srinagar: Leader of the Opposition and BJP MLA Sunil Sharma stated on Tuesday that the ruling National Conference is yet to offer the Deputy Speaker’s post to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“So far, there has been no official communication from the National Conference regarding the Deputy Speaker’s position for the BJP,” Sharma was quoted as saying by news agency KINS.
The BJP leader stated that while it is customary for the main opposition party to hold this position, no steps have been taken in this direction yet.
Sharma also said that Article 370, which was abrogated by the Parliament in 2019, is history. The Supreme Court has legitimated it, and “then the people of Kashmir showed acceptance through their strong participation in the parliamentary elections held in April and May!”
Sharma alleged that the National Conference was making “false promises” to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, suggesting that the Assembly could challenge the abrogation of Article 370.
He accused the National Conference of “trying to revive old politics that had misled the youth”.
“In the past, their politics encouraged youth to take to the streets with stones in their hands and it ended with the removal of Article 370. Now they are trying to bring it back, but BJP will never allow this,” he asserted.
On the restoration of statehood, Sharma confirmed that it is indeed on the BJP’s agenda.
“Our prime minister and home minister both have promised that statehood will be restored at the right time. But this is not something that can be decided by a quick resolution by a few ministers,” he said.
“Parliament will make that decision through discussions, reports from security agencies, and then approval from the president,” he explained.
Sharma also talked about the ‘Darbar Move’, which involved shifting government offices between Jammu and Srinagar. “With the new e-filing system, this move is no longer essential, and it places a burden on the public budget. We will review the impact of this move on the people of Jammu and Kashmir and share our stance soon,” he said.
Commenting on BJP’s recent election success, Sharma assured people that the party is committed to development of Jammu and Kashmir. “The BJP will ensure the government fulfills every promise made to the people,” he said.
