New Delhi- The opposition BJP in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday said it was “unfortunate” that the ruling National Conference has “compromised the integrity” of the assembly, and made a “joke” of democracy by bringing a resolution that questions a decision of the country’s Parliament.
“This is a fraud, a drama, that has been attempted with the people of J-K,” BJP MLA from Ramnagar, R S Pathania, told reporters here after the assembly was adjourned for the day following an uproar over the special status resolution.
“Article 370 is a history now. The Supreme Court has said that there is nothing like special status. It is as simple as that. This assembly which is a statute under the Reorganisation Act cannot question Parliament and the Supreme Court. There is no question of that,” he said.
Pathania said the resolution, which was passed through voice vote by the assembly on Wednesday, was “a piece of paper, a piece of scrap”, and “even if a peon or a clerk receives it, he will throw it into the dustbin”.
“They (NC) have compromised the integrity of the House. They have made a joke of parliamentary democracy. This is unfortunate, and this needs to be taken note of by the people of J-K. They have been exposed. This (resolution) is a huge joke with the people of J-K,” he added.
Referring to the deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary and minister Satish Sharma — both of whom are from Jammu, Pathania said, “there are some Jaichands from Jammu, but they have been exposed now”.
“People have understood what they did. They have kneeled before pro-Pakistan and pro-separatist narrative. This narrative is a fraud and there is no legal or constitutional basis of that narrative. This narrative has resulted in the killings of security forces personnel and civilians,” the MLA said.
Another BJP MLA, Shamlal Sharma, said the party would not allow the “illegal passage” of a resolution in the assembly over an issue that has been settled by Parliament. “There is no question of that”.
On the brawl that took place in the assembly between the BJP MLAs and the marshals, he said the blame lies with Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather.
“The members do not have the right to bring such posters inside the assembly. We wanted to know how the speaker allowed that? Where was the security check? The situation in J-K is such today that if there is any doubt on any member, then he should be searched, he can bring anything inside.
“It started from there, so the fault lies with the Speaker. The banner should have been snatched away from him. He should have been marshalled out like the members of the BJP were,” he said.
The BJP MLA was referring to Awami Ittehad Party MLA from Langate Sheikh Khursheed who jumped into the well of the House with a banner that read “restore Articles 370 and 35A”.
“The NC wants restoration of the special status under which it can name Shankaracharya (hillock) as Takht-e-Sulaimani. How can BJP allow that? The BJP will not accept such a move or demand? We will oppose it strongly. We will not stop till such dramas and political frauds are not stopped,” he added.
Senior BJP leader Smriti Irani on Thursday termed the passage of a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly seeking restoration of special status as an “attempt to divide India” by the INDIA bloc parties and asserted that it will not let them succeed in their effort.
Coming down heavily on the ruling National Conference (NC) and its allies, she said passage of the resolution in the JK Assembly on Wednesday amounts to “disregard and insult” to the “decision” taken by Parliament and the Supreme Court on the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution.
“The resolution shows the tactical support of the leaders of the Congress and the INDI Alliance to extremism and terrorism,’ she told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here.
The Congress is not part of the JK government despite fighting the polls in alliance with the NC.
Slamming the ruling NC-led coalition government in the Union Territory over the passage of resolution, Irani said, “The government elected through the democratic framework is giving evidence of breaking India instead of working on development issues and uniting India.”
After abrogation of Article 370, JK witnessed a decline in terror incidents by 70 per cent and the deaths in such incidents came down by 80 per cent, the former Union minister said.
“I want to assure all leaders of the INDI alliance and citizens of the country that the abrogation of Article 370, passed by Parliament, will not be restored. And their effort to divide India will not succeed,” she added.
Irani also took on the Congress over the passage of the resolution in the JK Assembly and asked the party leadership if it stands for terrorism.
She also asked if the Congress-led “INDI alliance” stands against the “economic and constitutional interests” of JK as well as the rights that the tribal population, Dalits, OBCs, women and children have got with the revocation of Article 370.
“What they seek is special status for themselves not the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
The BJP members continued to protest in the JK Assembly on Thursday against the resolution and three party MLAs were marshalled out on the directions of Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather.
Reacting to the developments, Irani said, “Today, I stand as an Indian citizen outraged at the attempt by the Congress-led INDI alliance to bring to the floor of the House a resolution that stands against the Indian Constitution and opinion of the Supreme Court of India… I am today joined in my outrage by the people of India and the ‘karyakartas’ of the BJP.”
Irani said the resolution passed by the “INDI alliance led by the Congress” brings to the fore many questions.
“The Congress leadership and particularly the Gandhi family need to answer whether they stand for terrorism and are against development of Jammu and Kashmir. Do they stand for the breaking of India rather than stand and abide by the Constitution,” she asked.
“The question that the Congress-led leadership has to answer, particularly in the states of Jharkhand and Maharashtra, is does it stand against the valour of the citizens who donned uniforms in the Indian armed forces to protect us better,” she added.
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