J&K Assembly's First Session In 6 Years Witnesses Uproar Over Resolution On Abrogation Of Article 370

The newly elected Jammu and Kashmir Assembly saw an uproar on Monday morning as it convened for the first time in six years. People's Democratic Party legislator Wahid Parra introduced a resolution against the abrogation of Article 370, which had been scrapped in August 2019.

Bharatiya Janata Party members opposed Parra's resolution, even though Speaker Rahim Rather of the ruling National Conference clarified that he hadn't yet admitted such a motion.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had previously remarked that it would be "foolish" to expect the BJP to reinstate Article 370, said he anticipated a resolution on the matter. He stated, "The reality is that the people of J&K do not approve of the decision taken on August 5, 2019. If they had approved, then the results today would have been different."

He added, "How the House will reflect and discuss this will not be decided by any one member. The resolution brought today has no importance but it is only for the cameras. If there was a purpose behind it, then they would have discussed this with us before..."

The BJP-led central government had controversially revoked Article 370 five years ago, a move that triggered widespread protests from political parties across Jammu and the Kashmir Valley. The revocation was challenged in the Supreme Court, which in December last year, upheld it as a "temporary" provision.

Article 370 had granted special status and privileges to J&K. Following its removal, the central government also divided the former state into two union territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

The restoration of Article 370 was a prominent campaign issue in last month's elections - the first in J&K in a decade since the collapse of the PDP-BJP coalition and the imposition of President's Rule.

The National Conference-Congress alliance secured victory in the October 8 elections. However, the NC alone swept 42 of the 90 elected seats in J&K, gaining support from four independent lawmakers and the sole Aam Aadmi Party representative, surpassing the majority mark of 48.

Nonetheless, the day after the NC's victory, Chief Minister-elect Omar Abdullah remarked that it would be "foolish" to expect the BJP to restore Article 370. He reaffirmed the NC's position on the issue, saying, "We have never said that we will remain silent on Article 370 or that Article 370 is not an issue for us now..."

He added, "We will continue to talk on this and hope tomorrow there will be a change of government (and) there will be a new setup with whom we can discuss this and get something for J&K."

Abdullah has also argued that the election outcome is a clear rejection of the Article 370 revocation.

The NC leader has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led central alliance to restore J&K's statehood, recalling Modi's promise made during the election campaign.

"The PM is an honourable man," he told NDTV, "... I hope he lives up to his word." Abdullah dismissed the idea that the promise of statehood was tied to a BJP victory. "Nowhere has the BJP ever said - first there will be our government and then statehood. The PM never said that."

In pursuit of what he and his administration consider a more realistic objective, the new J&K Cabinet passed a resolution on 18 October calling for the restoration of statehood.

The resolution also underscored the J&K government's commitment to safeguarding the identity and constitutional rights of the region's residents, who previously had special privileges, including on land ownership and employment, under Article 370.

Two weeks ago, Abdullah met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi to initiate discussions on statehood. According to NDTV sources, Shah expressed full support for J&K's return to statehood.

Since assuming office, Omar Abdullah has expressed a desire to avoid confrontation with the central government, stressing that such a stance could hinder J&K's progress.

"Jammu and Kashmir, with its complex security situation and proximity to the border, cannot afford a confrontation between the state government and the centre. I'm looking forward to a constructive relationship in the true spirit of federalism," he said after taking his oath.