The News Craving
Srinagar:
In a fresh move underscoring the continued discontent over the 2019 repeal of Articles 370 and 35A, the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP), along with the People’s Conference and independent legislator Sheikh Khurshid, have tabled a new resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
Resolution Demands and Context
After making his debut address in the assembly on 4 November 2024, PDP youth leader Waheed Parra declared the resolution a denunciation of the “unconstitutional and unilateral abrogation” of Articles 370 and 35A, along with the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019. The resolution contends that these moves deprived the region of its long-held special status, eroding the constitutional guarantees that once protected the region’s autonomy.
The resolution demands the immediate restoration of Articles 370 and 35A in their original forms and a reversal of the 2019 Reorganisation Act. The leaders argued restoring these provisions is critical to safeguarding Jammu and Kashmir’s unique cultural and political identity.
Assembly Erupts as BJP Resists
The Assembly proceedings took a chaotic turn on Thursday when BJP members stormed the well of the House.
Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather ordered the eviction of several BJP members. JKNC members chanted “Jis Kashmir ko khoon se seencha, woh Kashmir hamara hai,” while BJP members countered with, “Balidaan huway jahan Mukherjee, woh Kashmir hamara hai.”
A Divided Assembly and Continued Unrest
JK Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary spoke in support of the resolution’s call for the Government of India to engage in dialogue with Jammu and Kashmir’s elected representatives to address the region’s special status.
