Leader of the Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Sunil Sharma, said on Thursday that if Omar Abdullah was seeking the return of Article 370 along with statehood, then he must forget about it.
“Article 370 is done, dusted, and buried. There is no question of reviving it,” he said.
According to the senior BJP leader, if Omar was seeking statehood with dignity, meaning with Article 370 or special status, he must understand that it will never return. However, if he is seeking normal statehood without 370, then “we are on the same page,” Sharma told reporters here during a brief interaction.
He said Omar and his party were confusing the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “They glorify July 13, demand holidays in the name of Sheikh Abdullah, and link dignity with Article 370,” he added.
Referring to such instances, Sharma said that period has passed. “People now demand development rather than empty slogans; they want work, not hollow promises.”
The BJP leader, like his party, reiterated that statehood will be given at the right time, but not on a condition tied to the past.
“Omar doesn’t need to campaign for statehood. If he agrees to normal statehood, he can sit in his office or car and it will surely come without asking,” he added.
He even accused Mehbooba Mufti of expressing sympathies and having a soft corner towards the anti-national and separatist forces.
“Today, 99.5% of Jammu and Kashmir is peaceful. Mehbooba speaks for the 0.5 per cent who supported unrest and questioned India’s unity. That is why she is no longer politically relevant,” he said.
While speaking about the numbers, the BJP leader did not mention the recent episodes of violence unfolding in Jammu and Kashmir.
He also did not mention the role his party will be playing in convincing the Central Government over the return of the statehood that has been promised in Parliament by the Prime Minister and Home Minister.
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