Jammu, 26 September (H.S.): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while taking serious exception to the resolution moved by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah in Legislative Assembly today alleged that the National Conference -Congress Government was attempting to overrun its Constitutional domain and challenge the authority of Parliament and the Supreme Court, while using the Assembly to revive issues concerning autonomy, separate identity and the pre-1953 arrangement, which, the party said, posed a serious danger to the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.

Senior BJP leader and MLA, Sham Lal Sharma, accompanied by MLAs Dr. Narinder Singh, Ch. Vikram Randhawa, Yudhvir Sethi, Arvind Gupta and Surinder Bhagat, while addressing a press conference at the BJP Headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, here on Friday, strongly criticised the NC-Congress Government over the resolution.

Sham Sharma said the resolution referred to the Assembly resolutions of June 26, 2000 and November 6, 2024, besides calling for the immediate and urgent restoration of full Statehood to J&K.

He said that although the autumn session of the Assembly is progressing, the proceedings were not conducted properly by the Government and the Chair right from the first day. He alleged that the Government is presently on the back foot because of its failures and that the Speaker is attempting to provide a safe passage to the Government instead of ensuring the proper functioning and sanctity of the House.

Sharma said the Government is trying to create an issue out of thin air to divert attention from the basic issues concerning the people. He asserted that the BJP is committed to pursuing positive politics and standing firmly with the people of J&K. He said the BJP would continue to raise the issues of the masses before the Government and work towards finding the best possible solutions to their issues.

Referring to the developments witnessed over the past several days, Sharma said that the NC Government had today once again displayed what he described as its old mentality and old agenda. He said that the NC had once again revealed the agenda associated with its earlier political history, referring specifically to its antecedent as the Muslim Conference, and accused the NC of attempting to give rebirth to the politics of death and destruction in Jammu & Kashmir.

He said that the Chief Minister today placed a resolution before the House, but alleged that the established rules and framework governing the proceedings were not followed. He questioned how the Speaker could permit the Chief Minister to move such a resolution when, according to him, it had not been properly tabled before the House in accordance with the prescribed procedure. He said the Speaker had a responsibility to maintain the sanctity of the House and uphold the rule book, rather than permitting the Government to proceed in a manner that, in his view, compromised Parliamentary procedure.

Sharma described the Chief Minister as the head of a failed Government and said that the resolution being pressed by him appeared to be in continuation of an earlier resolution presented in 2024. He questioned the very purpose of presenting such a resolution, asserting that the J&K Government has no jurisdiction over matters beyond its Constitutional domain.

Sharma made it clear that the coalition Government in J&K led by the NC is not supreme to the Parliament of India and could not place itself above the Supreme Court of India. He described the attempt as an act of utter foolishness on the part of the CM and the Speaker and said the Speaker could have avoided the situation by maintaining the sanctity and dignity of the House. He also held the Congress equally responsible, alleging that it was supporting and participating in what he described as the utter foolishness of the NC-led Government.

Sham Sharma said the most serious concern was the reference in today's resolution to the resolution of June 26, 2000, which, he said, represented the demand for restoration of the pre-1953 arrangement and greater autonomy. The 2000 resolution had sought restoration of greater autonomy to the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir to which BJP is opposed to tooth and nail.

He said that the present resolution also referred to the November 6, 2024 resolution, and questioned why two such earlier resolutions were being brought into the present resolution concerning Statehood. The latest resolution indeed states that it is in addition to the resolutions passed by the House on June 26, 2000 and November 6, 2024.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar