Key Takeaways
- The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has passed a resolution seeking a dialogue with the Union Territory’s elected representatives for restoration of Article 370.
- PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti has urged the government to clarify the resolution and address concerns surrounding Article 370.
- The people of Jammu and Kashmir hold Article 370 as an emotional issue, and its restoration is a key demand of the PDP and other regional parties.
Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to clarify the resolution passed by the Assembly, following Congress leaders’ claims that it was aimed at restoring Statehood.
“A lot of questions and doubts have arisen in the minds of the people of J&K,” Mehbooba said while speaking to reporters in central Kashmir.
She emphasized that the government, which has been given a strong mandate by the people, must address the concerns surrounding the resolution.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir hold (Article) 370 as an emotional issue. I believe the National Conference, Congress, and especially the government, need to clarify this matter,” the PDP President added.
Her remarks came after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge stated on Thursday in Pune that BJP’s claims about Congress intending to reinstate Article 370 were “divisive and misleading.”
Meanwhile, J&K Congress President Tariq Karra asserted on Friday that the resolution passed by the Assembly focused on restoring statehood.
National Conference MP Ruhullah Mehdi criticized the Congress’s interpretation of the resolution, arguing that their alliance partner had “no right to misinterpret” the Assembly’s decision.
Mehbooba reiterated that the PDP had raised these concerns during the Assembly session itself.
“The resolution lacked clarity. The mention of (Article) 370 was done in a way that appeared almost apologetic. A government with a 50-member Assembly should have unequivocally condemned the events of August 5, 2019. Instead, the tone seemed to reflect embarrassment and surrender,” she said.
The former Chief Minister further noted that Congress’s recent comments, suggesting the resolution was about statehood and not the restoration of Article 370, have added to public confusion.
“The government must clarify its stance on this issue,” Mehbooba said.
On November 6, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution on special status, seeking a “dialogue” with the Union Territory’s elected representatives for restoration of the same as well as constitutional guarantees, “and to work out constitutional mechanisms for restoring these provisions”.
The resolution, brought by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, was passed by the Assembly by a voice vote.
