Examiner Bureau | Srinagar:
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Tuesday urged BJP legislators to raise their objections to the Jammu and Kashmir statehood resolution through debate in the Assembly rather than disrupt proceedings.
“The discussion was already listed in the business,” Choudhary said, arguing that the BJP could have placed its concerns before the House through debate. His remarks came a day after the Assembly passed the resolution seeking the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir by voice vote amid protests and a walkout by BJP members.
Choudhary said the government had brought the resolution to remind the Centre of its stated commitment to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution, moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, also refers to resolutions passed by the House in June 2000 and November 2024.
The BJP has said it supports restoration of statehood but has objected to the references to the earlier autonomy and special-status resolutions. Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma has described the language of the resolution as unacceptable to the party, while maintaining that the BJP supports restoration of statehood.
Questioning the circumstances surrounding the 2019 reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir, Choudhary asked whether the views of the erstwhile state’s elected representatives had been sought at the time. He said restoration of statehood would strengthen the authority of the elected Assembly to take decisions concerning Jammu and Kashmir.
The issue has repeatedly disrupted proceedings in the House. BJP legislators entered the Well of the House during protests and later walked out. The party has also submitted a motion seeking the removal of Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, with the Speaker referring to the prescribed procedure for taking up such a motion.
