JAMMU, Nov 10: With Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand on the horizon, the BJP has been misrepresenting the recently passed resolution on restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, alleged the Jammu and Kashmir Congress on Sunday. The resolution, moved by the National Conference and passed in the J&K Assembly on November 7, calls for dialogue between the Centre and regional representatives to discuss restoring the region’s special status.
The BJP’s response to the resolution was swift and vocal, with party members protesting and disrupting the Assembly session. Ravinder Sharma, vice-president and chief spokesperson of J&K Congress, accused the BJP of stirring emotions for electoral gain. “The BJP can go to any extent to mislead people on sensitive issues. There is no mention of Article 370 or Article 35-A in the resolution, yet the BJP’s leaders are loudly opposing it, creating a false narrative ahead of the polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand,” Sharma said.
Sharma underscored the Congress’s commitment to full statehood and special status for Jammu and Kashmir, protecting rights over land, jobs, resources, and cultural identity—safeguards comparable to those provided in states like Himachal Pradesh and the northeastern region. “This resolution seeks a return to statehood with constitutional guarantees. The BJP, however, is distorting the intent to create a false impression,” he stated.
According to Sharma, Jammu has faced the brunt of changes since the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, with local resources increasingly accessible to non-residents. “Our land, jobs, and resources are being taken over by outsiders, and future generations will suffer as a result,” he warned.
He called for a resolution to be implemented with constitutional assurances and urged the Centre to engage in discussions with elected J&K leaders for a mutually agreed solution. Sharma further claimed that BJP leader Amit Malviya initially welcomed the resolution, only to reverse course as the party sought to leverage the issue for political gains in the upcoming elections.