All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Mallikarjun Kharge describing Article 370 as an “issue settled” by the Parliament and J&K Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra stating that his party’s only demand is restoration of statehood to J&K has put its coalition partner National Conference in a quandary.
Addressing a news conference in Pune earlier this week, Kharge said, “BJP claims Congress wants to bring back Article 370, but who in Congress has ever stated this? Parliament has settled this issue.”
Taking a cue from Kharge’s statement, J&K Congress Chief Karra said, “The demand for restoration of Article 370 was neither raised in the resolution passed by Jammu & Kashmir Assembly, nor is there any mention of it.”
He was quick to add: “We have already said that the only thing left to demand after the Supreme Court verdict on Article 370 is statehood.”
The Congress distancing itself from Article 370 triggered an angry reaction from the NC Parliamentarian, Aga Ruhullha. “No INC president or JKPCC president has a right to misinterpret the resolution passed by the J&K Legislative Assembly in the last session,” he wrote on X.
However, NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah tried to downplay the statements of the Congress leaders on the Article 370 and gave it a different twist. He accused BJP of trying to corner Congress in the poll bound Maharashtra and Jharkhand by raising the bogey of Article 370.
Asked about the statements of Congress leaders that there is no mention of restoration of Article 370 in a recently-passed resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Dr Farooq Abdullah said they have their own purpose because their party is under attack from the BJP. “They (BJP) are thinking that they will weaken the Congress but we will not allow that to happen. We are hopeful that they (INDIA alliance) will win the elections.”
Reacting to the developments, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti sought clarification from the National Conference on Article 370. “This government has been given a huge mandate by the people. They have reposed huge faith in it. (Article) 370 is an emotional issue for the J&K people and their sentiments are connected to it,” Mehbooba told reporters at Beerwah in Central Kashmir.
It may be recalled that the Omar Abdullah-led government brought a resolution to seek restoration of J&K’s special status, which was abrogated by the Centre on August 5, 2019, in the maiden assembly session of J&K Assembly held earlier this month.
All Kashmir-based political parties supported the resolution which was moved by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Chaudhary. The Assembly passed it by a voice vote.
After the resolution was passed the People’s Conference, PDP and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) claimed that the government passed a “weak resolution.” They presented an amended “people’s resolution” and demanded that it should be passed by the House. However, the Assembly didn’t discuss it.
After the Congress leaders gave back to back statements on the Article 370, Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone stated that the National Conference “lacks transparency” on this critical issue. "I want to ask the NC, do the people of Jammu and Kashmir not deserve even a clarification.”
The opposition parties in Kashmir have cornered the ruling National Conference over the special status resolution as its main ally Congress, with whom NC contested the recently held assembly elections, has made it explicitly clear that the Article 370 is a “settled issue.”
The Congress party won six assembly seats, while NC won 42 in the 90-member house, the former is not a part of the government but it still continues to be the NC’s main partner in Jammu and Kashmir.