Govt committed to restore rights of J&K residents: Deputy CM

Baramulla, Nov 9: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary Saturday said that the National Conference (NC) remains dedicated to restoring the rights of Jammu and Kashmir residents, pledging that the party would continue its fight for the special status of J&K.

Speaking at Fruit Mandi Sopore, Choudhary, while criticising the BJP for disrupting the proceedings of the J&K Assembly following the passage of a resolution calling for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and constitutional protections, said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had acknowledged in parliament that J&K residents have rights over their land and employment opportunities.

“How is this possible without restoring special status?” he questioned, describing it as a contradiction in the BJP’s position.

The Deputy CM stressed that the National Conference (NC) was resolute in safeguarding these rights.

He lashed at the BJP members for neglecting pressing issues affecting ordinary citizens, including unemployment, public health, daily wage workers’ struggles, and corruption in recruitment processes. Choudhary said that instead of engaging with these topics, the BJP had resorted to creating a “ruckus” in the J&K Assembly, showing little regard for the welfare of the people.

Reiterating the significance of special status for J&K, he said it was the constitutional framework that guaranteed residents’ rights to land and jobs, preventing outside influence from eroding local entitlements.

“We don’t want people from outside J&K to take away the rights of the people here,” the Deputy CM said.

He called on people to place their faith in the NC’s leadership, which, he assured, was committed to restoring dignity to the people of J&K.

On the issue of security, Choudhary urged security forces to strengthen measures to prevent violent incidents and work toward a safe future for the people.