The day after the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution calling for the restoration of its special status, the opposition BJP quickly seized on the moment to criticize its rival Congress for backing the move.
Although BJP legislators created a ruckus in the House to oppose the passing of a resolution through illegal means, outside the Legislative Assembly party leaders stepped up attack on the Congress to expose the grand old party in other parts of the country for supporting the demand of restoring Article 370.
"The National Conference's position on this matter is well-known, but the real question here concerns the Congress's role in this issue," stated Sunil Sharma, Leader of the Opposition in the J&K Assembly. "We're asking Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi to clarify their stand on restoring Article 370" Sharma noted that six Congress MLAs appeared to support the resolution, visibly applauding when Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary introduced it in the House.
Sharma further warned that if Congress's central leadership approved this show of support for Article 370, the BJP would bring the issue to a national stage. "If Congress MLAs were instructed to back the resolution, it will become a national matter. Otherwise, the resolution itself could be considered defeated," he said, urging journalists to seek answers from Congress leaders about why their MLAs stood alongside the NC in support of the resolution.
"The resolution lacks constitutional validity"
He emphasized that the J&K Assembly's actions hold no constitutional weight compared to the authority of the Parliament and Supreme Court.
"India's Parliament sanctioned the abrogation of Article 370, and this decision was upheld by the Supreme Court. The J&K Assembly lacks the power to overturn what Parliament, with Supreme Court validation, has already decided," he stated.
Sharma criticized the way the resolution was introduced, saying it was sneaked into the agenda, which initially only included a debate on the Lieutenant Governor's address.
"The Speaker, acting in concert with the ruling party, allowed the resolution to be introduced, which is completely illegal and against House protocol," he asserted.
"The National Conference leadership is delusional if they believe they can restore Articles 370 and 35-A through the Assembly", asserted Sharma.
He questioned the Speaker's impartiality and defended the authority of Parliament and the Supreme Court, stating, "This Assembly cannot override the decisions of Parliament or the Supreme Court, which stand as the supreme law of the land", he said.
Gorkhas hold protest against passing of resolution
Meanwhile, the Gorkha community in Jammu protested the resolution's passage in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
Led by Jammu and Kashmir Gorkha Sabha president, Karuna Chatri, hundreds of Gorkhas took out a protest rally against the National Conference government and the "Kashmir-centric leadership" over the passage of the resolution.
Protesting Gorkhas shouted slogans at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Deputy CM Choudhary, and NC President Farooq Abdullah, the protestors said it could "deny them citizenship rights".
