Srinagar: People’s Conference leader Sajad Gani Lone on Thursday said the Jammu and Kashmir government should call an emergency session of the Legislative Assembly to pass a resolution for restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Trust me. A very sincere advice. Call an emergency session in the next two days and let us pass a resolution,” Lone said in a statement here.
Pointing to Supreme Court proceedings on the plea for statehood restoration, the Handwara MLA said there is a need to form a common front over the issue.
“And to our chief minister sahib, you have dealt with BJP in the past. I too have dealt with them. One unsolicited advice. When talking to them, what matters is not what they tell you. What matters is what they DON’T tell you. One more advice. Get off your high horse. Stop persecuting the opposition. Stop punitive transfers. Restrain your ministers from, ‘you know what I mean’. And make a common front for statehood first,” he said.
Lone said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah should have got the resolution for statehood restoration passed by the Legislative Assembly instead of by his cabinet.
“And the institution for that is the Assembly, not the cabinet. You could have sent that resolution to the Supreme court today if you had allowed us to pass that resolution,” he said.
Moreover, the former minister said, there was a dangerous trend of petitioners with no representative character approaching the court on constitutional matters.
“It will be interesting to see who went to the Supreme Court for statehood. Any ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’ having direct access into matters of constitutional importance such as statehood is very very dangerous,” he said
“Who is presenting our case? Who is the lawyer? Is he competent and honest in representing us? And how will the Supreme Court intervene and take a decision on such an important matter without seeking the opinion of the elected government or the Assembly?” he asked.
