On Wednesday, the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly passed a resolution calling for the restoration of Article 370, amidst fierce protests and a charged atmosphere in the house.
The resolution, introduced by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and seconded by National Conference (NC) leader and Minister Sakina Masood, aimed to reaffirm the significance of the special status that Article 370 granted to the region before its abrogation in 2019.
The resolution moved by the government stated, “This Assembly reaffirms the importance of the special and Constitutional guarantees, which safeguarded the identity, culture and rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and expresses concern over the unilateral removal.”
It further added, “This Assembly calls upon the Government of India to initiate dialogue with elected representatives of people of Jammu and Kashmir for restoration of special status, Constitutional guarantees and to work out the Constitutional mechanisms for restoring these provisions. This Assembly emphasises that any process for restoration must safeguard both national unity and the legitimate aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
The move, however, met with strong opposition from BJP leader and Leader of Opposition, Sunil Sharma, who raised objections to the timing of the resolution.
Sharma questioned the appropriateness of introducing the resolution while the house was focused on debating the Lieutenant Governor’s address, arguing that it disrupted the scheduled business of the house.
Despite the opposition, the resolution garnered support from several independent members and other regional parties.
Independent MLAs Sheikh Khurshid Ahmed and Shabir Ahmad, as well as prominent figures like Sajad Lone of the People’s Conference (PC) and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), rallied behind the motion, pushing for its passage.
The Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather, eventually called for a vote, and the resolution passed with a majority.
However, the vote led to further chaos in the Assembly, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the house for 15 minutes as tensions continued to rise.
While the resolution has little constitutional impact given the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A by the Indian Parliament in August 2019—an action later upheld by the Supreme Court—the political implications of the vote are significant.
The passage of the resolution has effectively brought the Jammu & Kashmir government into direct opposition with the Centre, signaling a deepening divide on the issue of the region’s autonomy.
The move also reflects ongoing tensions over the political status of Jammu and Kashmir, with local leaders continuing to demand a reversal of the changes made to the region’s special status.
This latest resolution by the ruling NC party further underscores the complexities surrounding the region’s relationship with the Indian government and its constitutional standing.
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