SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is bracing for a stormy session on Monday as the House will take up discussion on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s resolution seeking restoration of full statehood to J&K with reference to the 2000 autonomy move.
A day after Omar introduced the statehood resolution, J&K BJP leader and leader of opposition Sunil Sharma met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Saturday and briefed him about the developments in the Assembly.
Sources in the BJP said a strategy has been formulated to aggressively oppose any debate or discussion on the resolution in the House on Monday. “We will not allow any proceedings of the Assembly if the resolution is taken for discussion,” a BJP leader said.
The erstwhile J&K Assembly on June 26, 2000 had passed a resolution moved by the then Farooq Abdullah government seeking restoration of greater autonomy as it existed before August 9, 1953. “BJP is prepared to discuss restoration of statehood but would oppose bringing Article 370 and autonomy-related issues into the proceedings,” Sharma said.
The CM has maintained that the resolution is confined to demand for restoration of statehood and does not seek a vote on Article 370 or autonomy, which have been passed by the Assembly.
“What was the need to bring the issue of pre 1953 position now... the same resolution his father got passed in this Assembly, his son threw into the dustbin. It only means they don’t want statehood and want to sabotage it,” Sharma said.
Sore spot
Farooq Abdullah govt had passed a resolution on June 26, 2000, seeking greater autonomy for J&K
Resolution on November 6, 2024, sought restoration of special status
BJP argues statehood issue alone should be debated