Sunil Sharma, Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, called any discussion on Article 370 as ‘foolishness’. Sharma was responding to a proposal moved by J&K People's Conference chief Sajad Lone in the assembly on Tuesday.
Lone walked out from the assembly in protest against the rejection of his proposed amendments to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s speech in the assembly on Monday, which made no mention of Article 370. He wanted to introduce amendments regarding Article 370, the scrapping of the Public Safety Act (PSA), alleged rigging of the 1987 elections and police verification of people. Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, however, didn’t entertain his proposals.
The governors address is indistinguishable from a possible BJP speech, had they been in power. There seems to be total ideological overlap.
— Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) March 3, 2025
No mention not even remotely of Article 370, Article 35 A. No mention of 5 August 2019. No mention of reorganisation Act.
Seems the NC…
“As per Rule 187, a discussion on Article 370 cannot be allowed within a year of the same resolution,’’ Rather said. On the issue of 1987 elections, he said it is a matter of the past and must be a recent occurrence to be debated. “The PSA and police verification fall under the ministry of home affairs (MHA) and until statehood is restored, this assembly cannot deliberate on them,” he ruled.
Lone also accused the ruling National Conference of being in cohorts with the BJP. The BJP had warned that it would not allow any discussions on Article 370, arguing the Article was abrogated by Parliament.
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The opposition leader said no assembly in the country can overrule or overturn the decision of the Parliament. “Discussing Article 370 is foolishness,” Sharma said. “The Supreme Court has legitimised its abrogation,” he said. “His love for Pakistan has resurfaced as his in-laws are there,” Sharma charged.
In the inaugural session of the J&K Assembly in November last year, Lone, PDP’s Waheed Parra, and Awami Itead Party (AIP) had supported the resolution on the restoration of special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution was introduced by the National Conference. It didn’t mention Article 370 and called on the Centre to engage with the leaders of Jammu and Kashmir to restore its special status. After the resolution was passed, Lone, Parra and AIP’s Sheikh Khursheed said the resolution was silent on Article 370 and they tried to introduce another resolution calling for restoration of Article 370, which was disallowed by Rather.
