How Congress put under-fire ally National Conference in a tight spot over resolution on J&K special status

The resolution, passed successful the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly amid protests by BJP MLAs connected November 7, came nether onslaught from the PDP and the People’s Conference that alleged it “did not intelligibly and unequivocally” condemn the events of August 5, 2019, oregon cull the Centre’s determination to divided the erstwhile authorities into 2 Union Territories, and does not speech astir the restoration of Article 370.

Karra’s comments came hours aft Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, portion slamming the BJP for its “divisive politics”, said astatine a rally successful Pune that his enactment was not successful favour of restoration of Article 370. “(Union Home Minister) Amit Shah claims the Congress wants to bring backmost Article 370 but who successful the enactment has ever said this? Parliament has settled the issue. If the BJP genuinely believes it, fto them accidental it successful Kashmir present that the polls are done,” helium said.

Following these comments, the NC instantly went into harm power mode but the connection of Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary lone aggravated the party’s problems. In an interrogation to a section transmission successful Jammu, Choudhary who had moved the solution successful the Assembly urged radical to work the document, saying, “Does it notation (article) 370?” He added, “You proceed to repetition (Article) 370, 370. Has idiosyncratic work the resolution? I americium bittersweet that it comes successful the media also. You work the solution first, what is written successful it.”

Senior NC person and Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi took to societal media to people the Congress for “misinterpreting” the resolution. He besides had a connection of caution for his enactment colleagues.

“No INC president oregon JKPCC president has a close to misinterpret the solution passed by the J&K Legislative Assembly successful the past session. The intent of that solution is to explicit the people’s disapproval of each the amendments and unconstitutional abrogation of the guaranteed (Special) Status of J&K from the twelvemonth 1953 to 2019. This solution calls for the instrumentality of each the guarantees successful their archetypal signifier and signifier arsenic was operational earlier 1953 including Art 370 and 35A. Let unsocial JKPCC oregon immoderate different entity. Even if anyone from wrong @JKNC_ tries to misinterpret the solution different and against the wishes of the people, volition beryllium rejected and pushed by the radical to a country of irrelevance arsenic the allies of BJP were successful the past election,” helium wrote connected X connected Friday.

However, the NC continued to person flak implicit the resolution. Former CM and PDP main Mehbooba Mufti said Article 370 was an affectional contented for the radical of Kashmir. “We raised objections astatine a clip erstwhile the solution was moved (in the Assembly) and said thing was wide successful it. A authorities with 50 members should speech astir it with their caput held high. Firstly, they should person condemned the events of August 5, 2019. The mode they (NC) spoke astir Article 370, it seemed they were shy,” she said connected Saturday.

Mufti besides criticised the Congress for claiming the solution was for the statehood (of Jammu and Kashmir) and not (Article) 370. “I deliberation it has created questions and apprehensions successful the minds of the people. They should travel wide connected it,” she said.

The time before, Mufti’s enactment workfellow and PDP legislator Waheed Para deed retired astatine the NC, saying connected X, “It matters what the Congress says… It appears that the NC didn’t fuss to clarify Congress’ stance connected (the happenings of ) August 5, 2019, Article 370 oregon Article 35A during their spot sharing negotiations. I americium definite @RuhullahMehdi sahab volition concur that the Deputy CM, who introduced the resolution, holds the authorization to construe it. In an interview, the lawman CM portion addressing questions astir the solution said: ‘You’re an educated journalist. Why are you repeatedly linking the solution to Article 370’.”

The solution came successful for disapproval from PC person Sajad Lone who asked what stopped the NC from bringing a clear, unambiguous solution condemning the events of August 5, 2019. “There are antithetic interpretations of 3 sentences successful the resolution. Either lone radical successful the NC cognize English good oregon they are lying done their teeth, which they person been adept astatine for the past 7 decades,” Lone said connected Saturday.

The PC main said portion the Congress claimed the solution was not astir Article 370, the NC claimed it was astir the proviso and overmuch more. “If the NC was truthful superior astir Article 370, wherefore did they not constitute it successful plain English? Why are they having to explicate the 3 sentences? Was determination a dearth of insubstantial oregon was it the dearth of volition and courage? Were the prime of words pre-scripted and authored successful Delhi? This operation ‘special status’, is it contiguous anyplace successful the Constitution? Folklore parlance and Constitutional parlance are 2 antithetic concepts,” helium said.

Terming the solution “a fixed match” betwixt the NC and the BJP, Lone alleged that the BJP’s absorption was expected. “They enactment the Congress successful the dock up of the Maharashtra polls. We person understood it. When volition the Congress recognize it? Perhaps, never,” helium said.