SRINAGAR: The opposition in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday slammed the Omar Abdullah govt’s resolution on restoration of statehood for its silence on revival of Kashmir’s special status.
“Omar Abdullah’s first resolution on statehood is nothing less than ratification of the Aug 5, 2019, decision (abrogation of special status). There’s no resolution on Article 370. Scaling down demands to mere statehood is a huge setback, especially after seeking votes on the promise of restoring Article 370,” PDP youth president and Pulwama MLA Waheed Parra posted on X.
Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid accused Omar of playing into the hands of BJP – a reversal from the recent assembly polls when Omar had dubbed Rashid a BJP pawn who fielded candidates of his Awami Ittehad Party to split votes. Now, Rashid alleged that NC won its 42 seats because it received “tactical” help from BJP.
“NC has promised a fight against Article 370 but Omar is deviating from the main issues by focusing on statehood restoration only,” Rashid said. He pointed out that since PM Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah have already pledged statehood, stressing this point while ignoring other “grave issues” tantamounts to a “betrayal” by the new CM.
Rasheed claimed Omar had recently spoken about seeking restoration of special status when “BJP would not be in office at the Centre”.
“I want to ask him whether Kashmiris should wait 100 years if BJP remains in office till then,” Rasheed said.
People’s Conference chief and Handwara MLA Sajjad Lone argued that the resolution should have been passed in the assembly rather than the cabinet. He added that revival of special status was a promise NC had made before the polls along with that of statehood. Lone questioned what he described as “secrecy” behind the way Omar’s cabinet approved the resolution and the need for it to be handed over to PM Modi.
Omar’s ally and J&K Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra has already declared his party will not join the cabinet until statehood is back.