‘J&K govt seeking restoration of statehood, not Art 370, very painful’

Srinagar: Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid on Friday said reports of a resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir government seeking restoration of statehood only and not Article 370 were “very painful” and a “departure” from the principled stand of the ruling National Conference (NC).

The remarks of the Baramulla MP, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, came after a Jammu-based newspaper ‘Daily Excelsior’ carried a report that the cabinet had passed a resolution urging the Centre to restore JK’s statehood. The report also said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will travel to Delhi to handover the draft of the resolution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, there was no official confirmation or denial of the report. “There are reports that a resolution has been passed to seek restoration of the statehood. It is his right to pass anything.

“But, we want to remind Abdullah that you contested the election on Articles 370 and 35A and statehood. So these reports that only a resolution on statehood has been passed is very painful. It means a departure from the principled stand of his party,” Rashid said at a press conference here.

He said the resolution on statehood only makes it clear that Abdullah, who is also the NC vice president, is “playing into the hands of the BJP”.

“The prime minister and (Union) home minister have promised the restoration of statehood a number of times. So why is Omar seeking the same thing? Why is he seeking what the BJP is already ready to give?

“It means he is not ready to talk about (Articles) 370 and 35A. It is just an eyewash and he is deviating from the agenda on which he contested the elections,” Rashid said.

The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chief said it seems “something is going on between the NC and the BJP”.

“Abdullah just wants to be counted in martyrs, he wants to run away from the other main issues... This is like the betrayal done by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah when he became the chief minister from being the Prime Minister before,” Rashid added.

Meanwhile, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday said Jammu and Kashmir government’s first reported resolution demanding restoration of statehood and not Article 370, was a “huge setback” and nothing less than the ratification of the Centre’s 2019 decisions.

Another political party, the People’s Conference, has also questioned the secrecy over the resolution.

“Omar Abdullah’s first resolution on statehood is nothing less than ratification of the August 5, 2019 decision. No resolution on Article 370 and scaling down the demand to mere statehood is a huge setback, especially after seeking votes on the promise of restoring Article 370,” PDP youth president and MLA-elect Pulwama, Waheed Parra, said in a post on X.