Sunil Sharma, leader of opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly, said the BJP could set up a "parallel government" in Jammu and Kashmir if the government's behaviour doesn't improve.
Sharma, flanked by several BJP MLAs, including Sham Lal Sharma, accused Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather of acting as an "agent of the National Conference (NC)" and making decisions that violate the Constitution.
He voiced his frustration over a recent legislative session where, according to him, “the leaders were supposed to discuss the government’s promises and the lieutenant governor's motion, but the NC moved a resolution opposing the Parliament's August 5, 2019, decision, showing its separatist agenda in the assembly.”
He said the speaker openly backed the resolution, even though it was repealed by Parliament and upheld by the Supreme Court.
ALSO READ: J&K: BJP MLAs protest; hold session on lawns of Legislative Assembly
Challenging Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, he said, “I challenge him to show one place in the Indian Constitution that mentions special status for J&K. If he proves it, I will quit politics.” He stressed that Article 370 was intended only as a temporary measure and, since its removal, holds no relevance.
He attacked the NC for its push to reinstate Article 370, arguing that it diverts attention from real issues, such as the plight of Kashmiri Pandits and the loss of over 21,800 civilians.
"They don’t want tourism here but street violence, which the BJP won’t allow," he said. Sharma reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had promised to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. However, he accused the NC of creating deliberate obstacles to prevent the fulfilment of that commitment.
After being forced out of the assembly session, BJP MLAs held a "parallel assembly" on the lawns of the J&K assembly as a form of protest.
