Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Sunil Sharma strongly criticized a resolution passed by the House during the ongoing Autumn Session while addressing a press conference at the BJP J&K headquarters in Srinagar.
Sharma clarified that the BJP fully supports the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and has no disagreement with the government on that demand. Such issues, he argued, should not have been mixed with the demand for statehood. Sharma accused the ruling National Conference and the Congress of trying to divert attention from governance failures by raising contentious political issues. The party, he added, would take this opposition across the Union Territory.
He, however, objected to the inclusion of references to the pre-1953 constitutional position, as well as Articles 370 and 35A, in the resolution. He specifically challenged the Congress to clarify its position on Articles 370 and 35A. Reaffirming the party’s stance, Sharma said the BJP would continue to support statehood for Jammu and Kashmir but firmly oppose any attempt to link it with demands for a return to the pre-1953 position or the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A.
