Srinagar, Sep 25 : People’s Conference president Sajad Gani Lone on Friday said Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India was rooted in the promises made in 1947, arguing that the withdrawal of statehood was an act driven by “stubbornness” and “hatred.”
His remarks came outside the Assembly after Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather adjourned the House for 30 minutes following a ruckus between National Conference and BJP members over Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s resolution seeking restoration of full statehood.
“There is no argument. What is statehood? And I want to say one thing — we say that PM Modi has promised us. He has promised us. Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India because of the events of 1947,” the MLA Handwara said.
“Promises were made with us in 1947. Because of that we are here. It is not a matter of reality that we have become a state,” he said.
MLA Handwara Sajad Lone said his party has consistently backed the demand for restoring J&K’s statehood, and said, “To take statehood was a very bad act. He took it only because of our stubbornness. Because of hatred.”
He returned repeatedly to the 1947 commitments, framing them as the foundation of J&K’s relationship with the Union.
He said promises were made in 1947. “That’s why J&K is a part of India. How is J&K a part of India? Because of a bunch of promises. You can’t all of a sudden say that it is a matter of country. Whether it is the internet economy or any other country — that was all a part of promises. So we support it,” he said.
On the legal route flagged by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, MLA Handwara struck a cautious note: “What about the legal rules that CM Omar Abdullah was saying? We will take the legal rules first. We will look at the legal rules later.”
Notably, the House was adjourned for half an hour earlier in the day after BJP members protested against the reference to the 2000 autonomy resolution in the statehood resolution moved by the Chief Minister.
Comments are closed.