Era of Article 370 Over in Kashmir : Sunil Sharma
Says Statehood Will Be Restored and Nobody Can Stop It
Suhail Khan
Srinagar, Oct 24: The Leader of the Opposition and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Sunil Sharma, said that the sentiments surrounding Article 370 and Article 35A among Kashmiris have been effectively erased.
He asserted, “Yes, the Centre will restore statehood, and nobody can stop it.”
Speaking to Kashmir Convener, Sharma accused the National Conference (NC) of communalized the Rajya Sabha elections by appealing to religious and regional sentiments to secure legislative support.
He said that in Kashmir, where most MLAs represent the Muslim community, there was a deliberate attempt to unite them under a religious banner. Similarly, in Jammu, efforts were made to consolidate votes along regional divisions.
Criticizing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Sharma said that Abdullah had announced on August 15 his intention to launch a signature campaign demanding the restoration of statehood. “As the Leader of the Opposition, I would have supported this initiative, but he later backed out and changed his position,” Sharma stated. “That was our agenda — the BJP’s agenda since August 5 — to remove the psychological and political imprint of Article 370 from the minds of Kashmiris. It has been erased, and Article 35A is no longer an issue. The only step remaining is for the Centre to restore statehood.”
Sharma welcomed all political parties calling for the restoration of statehood but questioned Abdullah’s earlier remarks about a door-to-door signature campaign. “I welcome such initiatives,” Sharma added.
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