Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah passed a resolution at the first Cabinet meeting here in Srinagar calling for restoration of statehood, which Opposition parties said is a betrayal of the mandate and a tacit approval of the abrogation of Article 370.
An official informed that Abdullah plans to present the Cabinet’s resolution before the prime minister in New Delhi in the coming days. However, the government is silent about the passing of the statehood resolution as of now.
Abdullah in his election campaign had vociferously stated that passing a resolution rejecting the decision of August 5, 2019, and demanding immediate restoration of statehood and Article 370 would be the priority of the assembly if the National Conference is voted to power. Abdullah and five Cabinet members were sworn in on October 16 following which he held the first meeting on October 17. Lieutenant Governor of J&K Manoj Sinha appointed senior NC leader Mubarak Gul as pro tem Speaker on Friday, who will administer oath to the MLAs in the assembly on October 21.
The passing of the statehood resolution with no mention of Article 370 has attracted sharp criticism from regional parties in J&K, who have termed the move as a ‘huge setback’ and failing of promises made during the election campaign.
Lok Sabha member from Baramulla, Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Engineer Rashid, who is currently on interim bail, said the resolution on statehood, if passed, is a departure from NC’s principled stand on Article 370, which is extremely painful.
“Omar Abdullah’s first resolution on statehood is nothing less than a ratification of the August 5, 2019 decision. No resolution on Article 370 and scaling down the demand to mere statehood is a huge setback, especially after seeking votes on the promise of restoring Article 370,” said Waheed Para of People’s Democratic Party.
People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone asked why a resolution on statehood passed by the Cabinet be shrouded in mystery and secrecy. Lone urged NC to fulfill the promises made in the election manifesto.
