Stories
J&K Statehood Row Escalates: NC Defends Resolution, BJP Opposes Autonomy & 35A References
- •The political confrontation between NC and BJP intensified over the statehood resolution passed by the J&K Assembly on September 28.
- •NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah defended the resolution, accusing BJP of wanting to subjugate the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
- •The resolution urged the Centre for immediate restoration of full statehood and referenced previous resolutions on greater autonomy and special status.
- •BJP leader Sunil Sharma stated his party opposes linking statehood with autonomy and Article 35A, calling it a deliberate attempt to promote anti-national forces.
- •The core dispute is the resolution's language, with BJP arguing NC is trying to indirectly push for Article 370 and 35A restoration, while NC maintains these references are part of legislative history and its political ideology.
Key Questions Answered
The political confrontation escalated because the resolution urged the Centre to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir while explicitly referencing two previous resolutions from June 2000 and November 2024 concerning autonomy and special status. While the BJP supports statehood, it strongly opposed the mention of Article 35A and autonomy, arguing it is a backdoor attempt to revive separatist forces.
Following the introduction of the statehood resolution by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, BJP MLAs created a massive ruckus in the Legislative Assembly, raised slogans, tore copies of the resolution, and later moved a motion to remove Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather for allowing it.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated that the Centre had promised the people of Jammu and Kashmir a three-step process consisting of delimitation, elections, and the final restoration of statehood. With the first two steps successfully completed and high voter participation in elections, the government argued that statehood is the final pending commitment.
