J&K Opposition parties corner ruling National Conference over Congress’s take on Article 370

J&K Opposition targets NC-Congress alliance over Article 370 resolution, raising questions about sincerity and commitment.

Jammu and Kashmir Opposition parties on Saturday targeted the ruling National Conference (NC) over its ally Congress’s position on the resolution passed recently in the Assembly seeking restoration of the special status of J&K.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, at a presser in Pune on Thursday, said, ”Amit Shah claims the Congress wants to bring back Article 370, but who in the Congress ever stated this?” Seconding Mr. Kharge’s position, J&K PCC president Tariq Hamid Karra on Friday said the only thing left to demand after the Supreme Court verdict on Article 370 was Statehood for J&K. The top court had in December 2023 upheld the abrogation of Article 370, which had given special status to the erstwhile State.

Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said, “People reposed faith in this government and gave it a huge mandate. People’s sentiments are attached to Article 370. The resolution passed by NC was vague and not clear on the restoration of Article 370. The NC and Congress government should clarify their stand.”

She said the resolution did not condemn the August 5, 2019 measures of the Centre “boldly”. “This raises questions about the NC’s commitment to people’s trust and emotions tied to this issue,” she said.

Ms. Mufti said the government has 50 members in the Assembly and should hold its head high. “The Congress saying that the resolution was for Statehood and not for Article 370 has created a lot of questions and apprehensions. The government should clarify it,” she said.

The J&K Assembly passed a resolution on November 6. It reaffirmed the importance of the special status and constitutional guarantees for J&K and expressed concern over their unilateral removal by the Centre. It also sought dialogue with the Centre for their restoration. However, the resolution did not mention Article 370 or August 5, 2019 in it.

Awami Ittehad Party(AIP) spokesman Inam Un Nabi, while questioning NC’s silence over the recent remarks by the Congress leadership on the resolution, said, “(Congress president Mallikarjun) Kharge ji’s statement lays bare Congress’s duplicity and raises serious questions about NC’s sincerity. If NC truly cares about the restoration of J&K’s special status, will they have the courage to break their alliance with Congress, whose leader has effectively closed the door on Article 370?”