Examiner Bureau | Jammu:
Jammu, July 2: National Conference (NC) Additional General Secretary and former minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of failing to fulfil its commitment to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, describing the delay as the party’s “biggest political betrayal.”
Addressing a public meeting at Sanan Ghat in the Basohli Assembly constituency, Sadhotra alleged that despite repeated assurances made by the BJP in Parliament and before the Supreme Court, the restoration of statehood had yet to materialise.
He claimed that the continued delay had weakened public confidence in democratic institutions and reflected what he termed the BJP’s “politics of deceit and deception.”
“The people exercised their democratic right with the hope that their mandate would be respected and their aspirations fulfilled. Instead, the BJP has weakened democratic institutions by refusing to restore full statehood and by continuing with an arrangement that politically disempowers the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Sadhotra said.
The meeting was organised by Block President Basohli Raja Rafiq, former Sarpanch Madan Lal and former Naib Sarpanch Pawan Kumar.
Sadhotra further alleged that although a popularly elected government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is in office, the BJP-led Union Government has retained dual control over governance, thereby limiting the authority of the elected administration.
He maintained that the demand for restoration of statehood was based on commitments made by the Centre at the time of the abrogation of Article 370 and reiterated before the Supreme Court.
Referring to the Assembly elections, Sadhotra said it was unfortunate that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had to approach the Supreme Court to secure their democratic right to elect a government. He also recalled that the National Conference, under the leadership of Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, had staged protests outside Parliament demanding the restoration of statehood.
Describing the denial of statehood as “an assault on the dignity, identity and democratic rights” of the people, Sadhotra alleged that voters, particularly in the Jammu region, had supported the BJP in the 2024 Assembly elections expecting the restoration of statehood, stronger democratic institutions and protection of regional interests, but those expectations remained unfulfilled.
Claiming that public dissatisfaction with the BJP was growing, he alleged that the party had failed to deliver on its commitments regarding democratic empowerment, regional aspirations and respect for the people’s mandate.
Reaffirming the National Conference’s stand, Sadhotra said the party would continue its campaign for the restoration of full statehood until the democratic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir were fully restored.
Among those present at the meeting were Provincial Secretary Mohd Ayoub Malik, District President Kathua Ajit Kumar Seth, District President Jammu Chander Mohan Sharma, District President Kathua (Rural) Sham Narayan Mehta, S. Jatinder Singh Lucky, Hamid Chowdhary, Pardeep Kumar, Kuldeep Raj, Vivek Gupta, Veer Ji Bhat, Ashwani Charak, Chowdhary Hamid and Devender Mehta.
