Senior BJP leader Pawan Gupta said that the National Conference-led government's resolution demanding the restoration of special status to Jammu and Kashmir will hamper the early restoration of statehood to the region.
In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Gupta, while talking about the uproar in the assembly today, said that calling for the restoration of special status to Jammu and Kashmir is outside the purview of the J&K Assembly.
“This matter does not fall within the domain of the assembly,” he said. “This is unfortunate because they know it very well. I think they have a good legal luminary like Justice (Retd.) Hussain, who was in Parliament when the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked.”
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Gupta suggested that if the NC is truly interested in bringing back that status, they should approach central leaders and leaders from other states to build consensus.
He said the assembly is meant to serve the public after six years without elections. “Shouldn't they be focusing on welfare schemes and the statehood demand?” he asked.
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Reflecting on the recent elections, he said, “After six years, elections were held, and we wanted the public to benefit from these elections. Statehood is a significant and rightful demand,” he said. “But, they have hindered progress on statehood by bringing up this contentious issue, which is very controversial.”
When asked if the resolution introduced by the NC has affected the timeline for the restoration of statehood, he replied, “Certainly, it has impacted it. Omar Abdullah, after their victory, said that their first priority is the restoration of statehood, and other issues were secondary,” he said. “I do not understand why he was compelled to bring such a resolution. I believe it was a mistake by the honourable Speaker to entertain it, as this was not on the agenda.”
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He also pointed out the internal conflicts within Congress, saying, “The Congress itself is in a dilemma. Seventy-five Congress members, along with other parties now part of the UPA, voted in favour of the abrogation of Article 370.”
On why the BJP objects to the resolution despite the lack of any mention of Article 370, he said, “The objection stems from the fact that they are seeking constitutional guarantees, which aren't required. A full state has its own law-and-order powers. Every state in India has full control over its law and order under the Constitution,” he said. “They know this, as all state governments have such powers. If you look at West Bengal or anywhere else in the northeast, they have absolute power in this area.
“Whatever was revoked, was done through the appropriate legal instrument,” Gupta said.
When asked about the resolution’s call for dialogue between elected representatives and the Centre, including BJP members, he replied, “Yes, it does, but they should have allowed discussion rather than passing a resolution.”
He termed the passing a resolution outside their jurisdiction as inappropriate. “They should focus on the most important public welfare issues—like jobs for the unemployed and infrastructure development,” he said. “During the last five years, thousands of crores have been allocated to the state for development. We don’t want the peace dividends under the lieutenant governor’s rule to be spoiled.”