BJP backtracked on its promise of Statehood: Sadhotra

Jammu, Sep 26: National Conference Additional General Secretary and former minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for “reneging on its solemn commitment of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir”, describing it as a “tale of broken promises and a deliberate assault on the democratic spirit of the country.”

In a statement, Sadhotra recalled that the BJP-led government had given categorical assurances both in the Parliament and before the Supreme Court that statehood would be restored after the completion of the delimitation exercise and the conduct of elections.

“Delimitation has been completed, and elections have been held , but the BJP has now conveniently backtracked on its promise. This betrayal is not just of the people of Jammu and Kashmir but of the very principles of democracy that India prides itself on, he said. He said that denying statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, despite repeated commitments, amounts to trampling upon the democratic rights of millions of citizens. India, which proudly calls itself the world’s largest democracy, cannot afford to “treat a region and its people as second-class citizens.” Denial of statehood undermines the very idea of India

and dents the credibility of the constitutional guarantees given to its people, he added.

Sadhotra emphasised that statehood is not a privilege but a fundamental democratic right that cannot be withheld at the whims of a ruling dispensation. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been deprived of their identity and decision-making powers for far too long.

The BJP’s doublespeak on the issue has exposed its hypocrisy, eroded public faith,

and deepened the sense of alienation,” he added.