NC govt under fire for backing BJP’s August 2019 illegal moves in IIOJK
Srinagar: In Indian illgally occupied Jammu and Kshmir, political parties and analysts have come down hard on National Conference government for dancing to tune of the Bharatiya Janata Party on sensitive issues like illegal actions of August 2019 including the revocation of Article 370.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the NC is being criticized in response to a draft proposal by the IIOJK Assembly Secretariat, which seeks to remove references to the territory’s constitution in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the House.
Political leaders and analysts have described this move an open and unforgivable ratification of the August 5, 2019, changes imposed by the Indian government.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Abdul Waheed Para, along with other political figures, expressed outrage over the development. “The proposed changes will not only endorse the unconstitutional actions of August 5, 2019, but also limit any future legal challenge to them,” they warned.
“While we had hoped that the new assembly would pass an unambiguous resolution rejecting the changes of August 5, 2019, what we are witnessing instead is a complete betrayal.”
Political observers argue that the ruling NC government, which holds a majority in the committee formed to review the rules, is actively facilitating the BJP-RSS agenda in IIOJK.
“This assembly, we once believed would represent the aspirations of the people, has now become a mere rubber stamp for Delhi’s dictates,” analysts stated.
“The NC is functioning as the B-team of the BJP, with its chief minister acting as a puppet through whom the BJP-RSS establishment is executing its anti-Kashmir agenda.”
The controversial draft proposal eliminates references to the [occupied] Jammu and Kashmir Constitution and bills governing permanent residency, effectively erasing Kashmir’s historical identity. “This is nothing short of a cruel joke at the expense of the Kashmiri people,” political leaders said.
Analysts have also drawn parallels between the NC’s current role and its past endorsements of Delhi’s interventions in IIOJK. “This 42-seat ‘lottery’ granted to the NC by the BJP is a reward for its compliance,” observers noted.
Waheed Para also slammed the move on social media, sharing a news report on X that quoted a member of the assembly’s rules committee saying, “The modifications have been proposed to make the rules in sync with the constitutional changes effected on August 5, 2019.” Reacting to this, Para wrote, “The modified [IIOJK] Assembly business rules mark a shift from Article 370, effectively endorsing the constitutional changes of August 5, 2019. A clear acknowledgment of the new status quo.”
Political parties and civil society groups have expressed resolve to oppose the move, saying that the people of IIOJK will never accept the erasure of their identity and rights.
