BJP protests passage of special status resolution in J&K Assembly

Protests erupted in various districts of the Jammu region on Friday against the National Conference and the Congress over the passage of a resolution on special status in the J&K Assembly.

The BJP leaders said the demands by the National Conference (NC), Congress and other parties in recent days for the restoration of special status are utterly meaningless as no power on earth can reinstate it.

Led by J&K BJP president Sat Sharma, hundreds of saffron party activists and leaders took out a protest march in the Jhiri area against the NC-led government. During the protest, the party leaders raised slogans against the NC government and burnt an effigy to express their anger.

Sharma said the ruling NC-Congress government has compromised the sanctity of the Assembly by adopting an undemocratic approach to pass the bill. He said the events in the Assembly on Thursday were intended to appease Pakistan and anti-national elements, and to mislead the people of J&K.

“This is the anti-national agenda of the Congress and the National Conference. From Sheikh Abdullah to Omar Abdullah, emotional blackmailing has been the routine of the National Conference,” Sharma said.

The BJP leader asserted “Jammu and Kashmir has long since moved beyond the shadow of Articles 370 and 35A”. “It has embarked on the path of development, but Congress, NC and PDP are troubled by the peace that has emerged in the Kashmir Valley. They want to return Jammu and Kashmir to a dark era of terrorism and separatism,” Sharma said.

“Our government promised an Assembly for Jammu and Kashmir and fulfilled it within five years, with the Modi government restoring the democratic process. We will continue working for the development of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

The BJP women’s wing also held a protest at Trikuta Nagar, where they burnt effigies of the National Conference leaders. Carrying placards opposing the NC, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, they raised slogans against them, demanding the revocation of the assembly’s resolution.

“NC and other Kashmir-based parties are trying to fool people. No one can bring special status back to J&K. The Supreme Court of India has placed a final seal on it. People are being misled by such actions from the NC. It won’t help them,” said senior BJP leader Priya Sethi.

In addition, the ABVP students marched in Jammu city, protesting against the resolution passed by the NC government. “NC and Kashmir-centric leaders have always played separatist politics to deceive the people of the valley. They have incited people with emotional ploys. It is shocking how the deputy chief minister from Jammu has been manipulated by Kashmir-centric politics,” said ABVP leader Arvind Singh.

The protests were also held in Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi and Doda where the BJP activists burned effigies of the NC leaders.