Srinagar: The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir said that the National Conference government’s resolution on special status has annoyed the central government, which will delay statehood restoration to the union territory.
Pawan Gupta, the BJP legislator from Udhampur, said that the NC government should not have brought a resolution in the assembly and then passed it as it has annoyed the BJP government.
“The statehood will now be delayed, which will hit the governance in Jammu and Kashmir. We are on the same page with the National Conference government for restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir with constitutional guarantees,” Gupta told ETV Bharat in an interview.
He said that the BJP was expecting that the business of the legislature would go smoothly and the opposition could have raised issues of governance and questioned the government on governance and developmental issues.
“But the NC government brought a controversial resolution that derailed the business of the house. This resolution was uncalled for and unfortunate. Instead of creating more confidence and going in for more cordial relations with the centre (government), they (NC government) have stirred a hornet's nest,” Gupta said.
He said that the BJP is on the same page with the NC government on the restoration of statehood.
"Who doesn't want the development and progress of Jammu and Kashmir? If they were demanding restoration of statehood, we would have supported them and convinced the centre to grant statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. We could have told the centre that they conducted themselves very well in the first year. But they have brought a controversial issue, which is equal to flogging a dead horse," he said.
The National Conference government passed a resolution in the assembly demanding dialogue with representatives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the restoration of special status with constitutional guarantees.
The resolution has created pandemonium in the assembly in the last two days, as the BJP is protesting against the resolution and the speaker. The speaker has continuously adjourned the house in the last few days without any business being done. The debate on the address of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is yet to begin even as the assembly is concluding tomorrow (Friday).
Gupta said that the NC is flogging a dead horse and shattering the confidence of the BJP government at the centre.
"The restoration of statehood has now been delayed. The government must have begun with steps that could have built confidence (with the Centre government). (Chief Minister) Omar Abdullah's statement was quite in that direction. He had said that his priority is the restoration of statehood," he said.
"These controversial issues derail the confidence-building measures. Maybe the centre could have granted them statehood. But as of now, they have delayed its restoration by agitating the centre government," he said.
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