SRINAGAR: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Friday rejected the BJP’s criticism of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly’s statehood resolution, saying his party would continue to counter opposition to autonomy and the restoration of the Union Territory’s statehood.
The Assembly on September 28 passed a resolution calling on the Government of India to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir “immediately and urgently”. The resolution also referred to earlier House resolutions on greater autonomy and special status.
Reacting to the BJP’s description of the resolution as “unconstitutional”, Abdullah told reporters that the BJP had opposed such demands from the outset.
“Right from the beginning, they (the BJP) have wanted to enslave the people of Jammu and Kashmir. There is nothing new in that,” he said.
The resolution passed by the Assembly referred to resolutions adopted on June 26, 2000, and November 6, 2024. It called for the restoration of full statehood and directed that the resolution be forwarded to the Government of India.
The June 26, 2000 resolution, passed by the then National Conference-led government, sought restoration of greater autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir as it existed before August 9, 1953.
The Assembly’s November 6, 2024 resolution had sought restoration of the erstwhile special status.
Asked whether the autonomy issue continued to have relevance, Abdullah said it remained important to the National Conference, while accusing the BJP of having opposed it since Independence.
“Who says it doesn’t hold value? But not to them (BJP). Since the country became independent, they have always been against it. There is nothing new. But we have to counter it,” he said.
Abdullah, a three-time former chief minister, also described criticism of the National Conference government inside the Assembly as part of the legislative process.
He said debate allowed shortcomings in government functioning to be raised and gave the government an opportunity to respond.
On opposition attacks targeting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, he said the person occupying the chief minister’s office should expect such scrutiny.
“So what? The chief minister should be targeted. The one who sits in that chair has to face these things,” he said.
