Passage of resolution breach of privilege: Sat Sharma

Jammu, Nov 6: J&K Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Sat Sharma Wednesday stated that the passage of resolution in J&K Legislative Assembly seeking restoration of special status was a breach of privilege and was an affront to the Parliament and the Constitution of India.

“J&K Legislative Assembly is a statutory body hence it cannot violate the statute by virtue of which it was created. Abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A was not a unilateral decision, as resolution describes it. It happened after the issue was debated in both the Houses of the Parliament in consonance with the spirit of the Constitution of India. Later this move was upheld by the Supreme Court of India.

The passage of this resolution (in J&K Legislative Assembly) in an illegal and unconstitutional manner without any debate put a question mark on the Parliament and the Constitution. They (NC, Congress) have committed a breach of privilege,” Sat Sharma, joined by other senior leaders of the party, said, while addressing a press conference here, this evening.

Earlier, BJP leaders strongly protested in Jammu against the passage of resolution, torching effigies of NC and Congress leaders amid slogans.

“We left our meeting, related to membership drive, halfway to hit the streets in protest against the resolution moved by the National Conference government as it was an issue against the interests of Jammu,” Sat Sharma said, while speaking to the media, during the protest.

“Our 28 soldiers (MLAs) are fighting this battle in the J&K Legislative Assembly and our leaders and workers here will hit the roads and hold protest demonstrations. NC knows very well that even if it brings this kind of resolution a thousand times, it will not succeed in its nefarious designs as long as there is the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Centre. It is resorting to such tactic only to deviate people’s attention. BJP has secured 1.86 lakh more votes than it (NC) so it (BJP) represents the aspirations of the majority and not NC,” the J&K BJP President said.

Taking a dig at the Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, who moved this resolution, Sat stated that he (Choudhary) was the main culprit of Jammu as he ditched people here and their mandate, which was for Jammu’s development and restoration of peace and progress here.

Obliquely targetting Choudhary and other Jammu MLAs, who supported this resolution, J&K BJP President said, “These “Jai Chands” of Jammu, who compromised interests of the residents of Jammu & Kashmir and Jammu in particular to show their loyalty to a few royal political families, will have to face protests here. They will be sent back to Kashmir as they have failed Jammu.”

Strongly criticising Congress, he said that it earlier also colluded with NC to push J&K into a vortex of violence. “NC and Congress were directly responsible for the cycle of death and destruction followed by Burhan Wani’s killing. They wanted to revive same situation again to serve their interests,” Sat alleged

He reiterated that Article 370 was a part of history and was buried deep in the ground. “No force can restore it now. These two parties had earlier ruined the life of J&K residents, looted the resources of the region. Now again they are trying to send the region into the vortex of violence by these mindless moves,” Sat Sharma said. Ravinder Raina, former President of J&K BJP, Kavinder Gupta, former Dy CM, Shamsher Singh Manhas, former MP and other senior leaders of BJP led the protests.

Sat Sharma said that NC, a party with 23 percent votes in J&K, did not represent the majority of the region and it was ignoring the rights and the issues of Jammu residents.

Kavinder Gupta, Sunil Sethi, Chief Spokesperson, Girdhari Lal Raina, Spokesperson, and Dr Pardeep Mahotra, Media Secretary of the party, joined Sat during the presser.

“Congress is a national party, not just limited to J&K. It must make its stand crystal clear that whether it also wants to bring back Article 370 and throw the residents of Jammu & Kashmir into the state of terror and blasts? Whether the Congress supports the theory of ‘nation within a nation’,” asked Sat Sharma.

He also took exception to the role of Speaker alleging that he did not act neutral. “When Art 370 was revoked, there were protests in the Parliament but still debate occurred in both the Houses and the Bill was not passed without discussion. Here the Speaker failed in his duties,” he alleged.