Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, June 3: Mocking at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s claim that he would unveil a major political development in Jammu and Kashmir, Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma today said the promised “bombshell” had instead culminated in a picnic-like gathering of party leaders and MPs in Dachigam National Park on the outskirts of Srinagar.
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Speaking to reporters in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, Sharma said Omar had claimed he would create a political “cloudburst” and drop a “big bombshell” in Jammu and Kashmir politics, but ended up holding a gathering with his party leaders and MPs in Dachigam.
The BJP leader said the Chief Minister was behaving irresponsibly at a time when people were facing problems related to electricity, water, roads, schools and hospitals. “People of J&K are yearning for electricity, water, roads, schools and hospitals. Our Chief Minister is enjoying with his MPs in Dachigam,” he said.
The LoP alleged that the gathering was not a meeting but a “floor test” aimed at checking the strength of the Government. “This is not a meeting, this is a floor test. They will count today who has come and who has not come and whether the Government is alive or not,” he said, adding that similar exercises could take place again in the near future because of concerns within the ruling alliance.
Asked about a letter written by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, Sharma said if regional parties openly tell the people that there is no possibility of restoring Article 370, “some justice” would be done to the public.
He accused such parties of maintaining a dual stand on the issue and said demands for restoration of Article 370 were unrealistic. “Article 370 has been buried,” Sharma said.
Sharma said restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood remained the BJP’s agenda and not that of regional parties. “We have said that statehood will come,” he said, but added that it would happen only when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are fully satisfied that there will be no unrest, stone-pelting, violence or killings in the Union Territory.
Sharma claimed that the security situation had improved significantly in Jammu and Kashmir during the last one-and-a-half to two years.
He said that, apart from the April 22 Pahalgam attack, no civilian had been killed in militant-related incidents during the period. He also described as a major achievement the claim that no local Kashmiri youth had joined militant ranks during the last one-and-a-half years.
Sharma said peace in Jammu and Kashmir would take time but expressed confidence that the security measures put in place by the Government would eventually ensure complete peace.
He also criticized the Congress party in Jammu and Kashmir, claiming it had no independent political existence and was functioning as a proxy of the National Conference.
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