NC leader slams BJP’s backtracking on IIOJK’s statehood, calls it assault on democracy
Jammu: National Conference leader Ajay Kumar Sadhotra has said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is deliberately reneging on its promise to restore statehood to Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), branding the saffron party’s actions as a blatant betrayal and a flagrant assault on the fundamental principles of democracy.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a statement in Jammu, Sadhotra recalled that the BJP-led government had repeatedly assured both Indian Parliament and before the Supreme Court that statehood would be restored once the delimitation exercise was completed and elections were held.
“Delimitation is done, elections have been conducted, yet the BJP has conveniently abandoned its commitments,” Sadhotra said. “This is not only a betrayal of the people of Jammu and Kashmir but an outright rejection of the very principles of democracy itself.”
He further condemned the BJP’s refusal to restore statehood as an act that tramples upon the democratic rights of millions of citizens. “India cannot continue to treat the people of this region as second-class citizens, stripping them of their basic political identity and decision-making powers,” he added.
Sadhotra emphasized that statehood is not a privilege granted by a ruling party but a fundamental democratic right that cannot be withheld to serve political expediency. The people of IIOJK have been deprived of their identity and decision-making powers for far too long, he said, adding, “The BJP’s doublespeak on the issue has exposed its hypocrisy, eroded public faith, and deepened the sense of alienation.”
