Tensions flared in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly as newly elected lawmakers met for the first time in six years. A resolution against the scrapping of Article 370 by Peoples Democratic Party member Wahid Parra was vehemently resisted by Bharatiya Janata Party representatives, leading to heated resistance from their side. Speaker Rahim Rather, of the ruling National Conference, pointed out that he had not yet formally admitted any such motion.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while acknowledging that a resolution is likely to be passed against scrapping Article 370, still did not believe that the BJP wants to restore it. He said,
“The truth is that the people of J&K have not endorsed the decision that was taken on August 5, 2019. If they had endorsed it, the results of the election would have been different.”
Abdullah Proposes Resolution Against Scrapping Article 370, Says It’s Only for Fame
Abdullah also said that the resolution was of no importance and was only for public display. It should have been discussed with all parties before the fruitful talk was held.
Protests had flared up in Jammu and Kashmir after the decision to nullify the special status in 2019 through an order under Article 370. Concurrently, the erstwhile state was split into two union territories under the nomenclature of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, setting aside judicial challenges that went all the way up to the Supreme Court to such revocation. The Supreme Court, last December ruled Article 370 to be a “temporary” provision.
Article 370 revival has emerged as one of the key issues with the elections that come less than a decade since the end of the PDP-BJP coalition government. NC-Congress alliance is well ahead and NC has swept 42 out of the 90 seats. Abdullah clarified he was being realistic about the prospects of Article 370’s restoration but that would not mean his party stop demanding its revival.
“We will continue to talk on this and hope tomorrow there will be a change of government (and) there will be a new setup with whom we can discuss this and get something for J&K.”
Abdullah has also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfil his promise of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, arguing that it should not depend on BJP’s electoral success. The new J&K Cabinet passed a resolution aimed at restoring statehood, underscoring its commitment to uphold the rights and identity of the region’s residents, which were once protected under Article 370.
Since he came into power, Abdullah has sought a fruitful relationship with the centre. Yet, at the same time, he points out how cooperation is essential to its development as Jammu and Kashmir have their set of problems because of their situation and location.
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