BJP walkout shows it is against statehood: Sadiq
Excelsior Correspondent Srinagar, Sept 28: National Conference spokesperson Tanveer Sadiq today said the BJP's walkout from the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly during the debate on the statehood resolution showed that it was opposed to restoration of statehood to the Union...
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 28: National Conference spokesperson Tanveer Sadiq today said the BJP's walkout from the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly during the debate on the statehood resolution showed that it was opposed to restoration of statehood to the Union Territory.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, Sadiq said the resolution was specifically about restoration of statehood and that the NC had expected all members to support it. "The people have send us here as their voice and we are trying. It has gone down in history that the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, today, even after two years, when statehood was not given, passed the resolution," Sadiq said.
He said the BJP could have moved amendments if it had objections to any part of the resolution instead of walking out of the House.
On the PDP's support to the resolution, Sadiq said it remained to be seen whether the support represented the party's position or that of an individual member. "It was found that the PDP is also supporting our agenda, but is it an individual member or is it their party? We will have to see," he said.
He said if the PDP leadership formally endorsed the resolution, it would indicate that the party was also supporting the National Conference's position on statehood.
Sadiq also referred to several issues raised by the NC in the Assembly, including the absence of a report that he said had been sought from the Chief Secretary within a stipulated period.
He also questioned the role of unelected authorities in the administration, saying the issue highlighted the difficulties being faced by the elected government.
The NC leader said the Assembly had now formally recorded its demand for restoration of statehood and urged the Centre to take note of it. "The people of Delhi should now understand that even after two years, I think the time has come," he said.
On the 2000 autonomy resolution, Sadiq said that the resolution was specifically about statehood. "But today, it was only about statehood. And we expected that everyone would support it," he said.
