Srinagar: BJP lawmaker and Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Sunil Sharma on Monday asserted that there is no space for any external agenda in the Union Territory, stressing that it will remain an integral part of India.
Speaking to reporters after the House adopted the statehood resolution, Sharma said the BJP supports restoration of statehood but cannot accept references to the autonomy resolution of 2000 or the special‑status resolution of 2024. According to him, these references revive debates linked to the pre‑1953 constitutional position of J&K.
He stated that the BJP would have supported the resolution had it been limited strictly to statehood. “If the Chief Minister brings a resolution solely on statehood, we will support it. Statehood is our commitment and it will be restored,” he said.
Sharma criticised the inclusion of earlier political resolutions, arguing that they contradict constitutional provisions. He also accused the Congress of taking ambiguous positions on issues related to the erstwhile special constitutional arrangements. “They must clarify whether they want the pre‑1953 situation, Article 370 or 35A. Their leadership should be accountable,” he said.
He further alleged that the National Conference and Congress were attempting to revive issues that could disturb peace in the region. “Jammu and Kashmir is sensitive. Our neighbours always try to exploit situations. We cannot allow anything that risks stability,” he said.
Sharma maintained that the situation in the Union Territory is peaceful and that statehood remains the only pending demand. He criticised Speaker Abdur Rahim Rather for allowing the resolution despite BJP objections and said the party had moved a motion seeking his removal. He also questioned the Chief Minister’s authority to set a timeline for statehood restoration, asserting that such decisions cannot be rushed. The BJP leader announced that the party would launch protests across J&K against what it views as an attempt to revive pre‑1953 issues.
Meanwhile, Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) senior leader and MLA Sheikh Khursheed Ahmed challenged what he called selective references to political commitments made to the people of J&K. Participating in the debate, he argued that statehood is not merely an administrative matter but one tied to political identity and democratic rights.
Ahmed said that changes made in recent years had altered symbols and institutions associated with the former state. “Our political identity, rights, flag and emblem were taken away. What was removed must be restored,” he said.
He questioned why only certain political commitments were being highlighted. If the National Conference can repeatedly cite the Prime Minister’s 2024 assurance on statehood, he asked why earlier commitments made to Kashmiris were not being recalled with equal emphasis.
He argued that political promises do not lose relevance with time or change in leadership. “The commitments made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir form part of a long political history. They cannot be selectively remembered,” he said.
Ahmed insisted that statehood should not be portrayed as a favour. According to him, the demand is rooted in the restoration of political identity, democratic representation and the symbols of the former state. During his remarks, he displayed a poster featuring the old state flag and emblem with the message- “We demand what you snatched from us undemocratically.”
Earlier in the Assembly, Sharma said that while the BJP supports statehood, it cannot accept language linking the demand to autonomy or other past political frameworks. He said the party is ready for a debate but will not allow references to Article 370 or the 2000 autonomy resolution.
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