Budget session – III: CM Omar, LoP Sunil tear into each other, defend their respective ideologies

The previous 2 parts of the article can be accessed here, Part 1, Part 2. This is the third part

Budget session day 4 to conclude the LG’s address debate

March 6, the day 4 of the budget session, was when the House was to conclude debate on the Motion of Thanks to the LG’s address. Both the main opposition BJP and the ruling NC used the day to tell the nation in general and their respective constituencies in particular that their concepts of nation and state were totally different from each other and that there was nothing whatsoever which was common in the ideologies and political programmes they vouched for and they were committed to advocate and promote. The NC also used the opportunity to tell the nation in general and its constituency in particular that Kashmiri Muslim leadership had the natural right to interfere in the country’s foreign policy and demand dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad on the so-called Kashmir issue. On the other hand, the BJP made it loud and clear that J&K was a settled issue and that the Kashmiri leadership just couldn’t be allowed to interfere in matters relating to the country’s foreign policy. In fact, both the parties once again left none in any doubt that they were poles apart and that J&K was never an organic political unit.

Two-nation theory

What did the LoP and the Chief Minister say while tearing into each other and reflecting on their ideological positions? Launching a scathing attack on the NC and other Kashmir-based parties, including the PDP, Sunil Sharma termed the special status of the erstwhile State of J&K an extension of the two-nation theory. “Some people are trying to keep the two-nation theory alive, which is why they continue to rake up the issue of Article 370,” he said.[1]

Sunil Sharma also advised the Congress, the NC, the PDP, the CPIM, the Peoples Conference, and other Valley-based legislators to get used to the J&K’s constitutional status post-August 5, 2019, as he claimed that no party could get Article 370 back, come what may. “Article 370 has gone long back…It has become history now…It won’t come back, whichever party comes to power. I advise the Congress, the NC, the PDP, the CPIM, the Peoples Conference and other legislators speaking in favour of this ‘temporary provision’ of the constitution…to get used to the J&K’s constitutional status post-August 5, 2019…Article 370 cannot be restored because it was a ‘temporary provision’ in the Indian Constitution and the Parliament of the country has annulled this provision. Those still yearning for this status now are only wasting their time…They have to understand that there cannot be a state within the state as all the states of the country had been merged completely with the Indian Union…The Congress party was doing politics of appeasement under the garb of Article 370. The BJP took a bold stand and scrapped this special provision of the constitution,” said Sunil Sharma.[2]

Pakistan, an enemy country

As for those Kashmiri legislators who advocated dialogue with Pakistan, the LoP took a swipe at them. “It is the domain of Parliament, and they (BJP) have pursued it in the past. Atal Bihari Vajpayee made an effort…Such matters are beyond the mandate of the House” (Legislative Assembly), he said.[3]

Sunil Sharma’s target was senior NC leader, 7-time MLA and former minister Ali Mohammad Sagar, who a day before (March 5) advocated dialogue with Pakistan to end bloodshed in Kashmir, and threatened New Delhi, saying the silence of graveyards should not be construed as peace. “Whenever Dr Sahib (NC president Farooq Abdullah) highlights the need for talks with Pakistan, the BJP gets irked…There’s no doubt that Pakistan is a failed state, but you have to take them on board to end the bloodshed in Kashmir…A ‘silence of graveyard’ has been established in Kashmir, which is harmful for the long run,” he had said while participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks.[4]

Significantly, Farooq Abdullah had on March 6 yet again advocated dialogue between India and Pakistan, saying dialogue with Islamabad was imperative if Indo-Pak relations were to improve and peace restored in the region. “If relations between the two countries improve, it is a good thing for us,” he told reporters outside the J&K Legislative Assembly. He was replying to a question on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s remarks on Pakistan-occupied-J&K. He had also criticised the BJP Government in Uttar Pradesh for changing names of places and said: “They cannot change history…They want to erase the legacy of the Mughals…The Mughals ruled here for hundreds of years and are also buried here.”[5]

A day before (March 5), S Jaishankar had said: “On Kashmir, actually we have done, I think, a good job solving most of it. Removing Article 370 was step number one, restoring growth and economic activity and social justice in Kashmir was step number two, and holding elections with a very high turnout was step number three. I think the part we are waiting for is the return of the stolen part of Kashmir which is under illegal Pakistani occupation; when that is done, I assure you Kashmir will be solved.”[6]

The Foreign Minister made this unambiguous statement on the status of J&K vis-a-vis India while speaking at a session at the Chatham House think tank in London, and his statement was in response to the question put by a Pakistani journalist. His statement had rattled Farooq Abdullah and ilk and Islamabad as well with Pakistan Foreign Office rejecting as “baseless” his remarks regarding Kashmir.

The same day (March 6), Sunil Sharma also lodged a complaint with the Speaker against the votaries of talks with Pakistan and against those who claimed that PoJK was more developed than this part of J&K. In fact, he wrote a letter to the Speaker asking him to “exercise his constitutional authority” and ensure that discussions in the House were “strictly regulated in accordance with parliamentary conventions and established precedents”.

His letter, inter alia, read like this: “He is ‘deeply concerned’ about certain remarks being made on the floor of the House. The discussions within the assembly are increasingly veering towards subjects such as engaging in talks with Pakistan, comparing the development situation in Pakistan-occupied-J&K with that of our Union Territory, and, in some instances, even making remarks that could be construed as glorifying Pakistan…These narratives undermine our national interests, sovereignty, and integrity…The Legislative Assembly is meant to serve as a platform for constructive dialogue on governance, development and public welfare, and not as a stage for advancing narratives that could harm our national unity.”

The letter also urged the Speaker to “immediately expunge” from the official records of the assembly proceedings “any remarks or discussions that reference Pakistan in a manner that compromise” what he called “our national interests”. “It has come to his notice that ‘while candid and patriotic statements made in the interests of the nation’ are being expunged from the records, certain narratives that favour or glorify Pakistan are being allowed to remain on record,” the LoP’s letter said in this regard.[7]

Why did Sunil Sharma refer to PoJK in his letter to the Speaker? The question hour on March 4 had witnessed a bitter war of words between the BJP MLAs – Sham Lal Sharma and RS Pathania – and the NC MLAs – Saifullah Mir and Nazir Gurezi — and Peoples Conference MLA Sajad Lone. The feud between them had climaxed to the point that RS Pathania called Saifullah Mir a “traitor”.

What had provoked RS Pathania to call Saifullah Mir a traitor was the latter’s statement that “border infrastructure is better in PoJK than on this side.” Taking on the NC MLAs, Pathania had said: “He (Saifullah Mir) praised a country (Pakistan) with which we have no diplomatic relations. Our country did not send its cricket team there to play in the Champions Trophy and this is the country which is promoting separatism in India. Mir’s remarks are (a matter) of concern and condemnable and the Chief Minister should clarify his party’s stand on it.”

The situation in the Assembly had virtually gone out of control and Omar Abdullah had to intervene. Urging the members to take up their seats, Omar Abdullah had, among other things, said: “The situation is very bad there (in PoJK)…We have never sought help from any other country. We have never asked China, America, England, or France to build our roads. The roads constructed across the border were done by China…Every part of J&K has witnessed development…”[8]

Public Safety Act

Sunil Sharma not only said what he said about Article 370/ special status, Kashmiri Muslim leadership and its ideology, Pakistan and PoJK through his speech on the Motion of Thanks and through his letter, but he also used the occasion to attack the critics of the PSA, including Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. Defending it, the LoP said, and very rightly, that “it was introduced by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and then used against those creating disturbances.” “If 400 or 500 people are detained under PSA, it is because they were creating problems for 70 lakh people…The BJP government invoked PSA to curb civilian killings…Mehbooba Mufti avoided the use of PSA against youth disturbing peace in 2016. Instead, she chose to let 100 people die rather than detaining a few…She did this to avoid upsetting separatist leaders.”[9]

Intimidation

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as Leader of the House summed up the debate on the Motion of Thanks. He made a 45-minute-long speech. It was nothing but a blend of some vague charges, helplessness, hope, pledges/ resolves, grievances, regrets, and attacks on his political foes. He, like other Kashmiri Muslim legislators, violated the Speaker’s ruling on Article 370 and reiterated again and again his government’s resolve to implement the NC’s subversive agenda in its entirety after the restoration of statehood, regretted the cancellation of holidays on July 13 and December 5, and also virtually taunted the Narendra Modi government.

Reaffirming that his government would fulfil each and every promise made in the NC manifesto and asserting that “nobody can snatch a right from citizens to discuss Article 370”, he said that “some people are trying to ‘intimidate, threaten and silence us’ but his party will continue its fight for the rights of people of J&K.” He also came down heavily on the LoP and said: “He (Sharma) is saying that speaking on Article 370 was like wasting the time of the House, but the reality is that it was BJP members who talked most about the constitutional provision that granted special status to J&K…Do not tell me that the Supreme Court has put its stamp on abrogation of Article 370. Decisions can be reviewed and the government does change, but don’t tell me that it (Article 370) will not return. We say that it will come back and you live with your hope and we will also live with our hope. Who knows what will happen next…You cannot snatch a right to talk on this issue from us.”[10]

Not just this, Omar Abdullah questioned the very rationale behind the reading down of Article 370, or abrogation of special status. He, inter alia, said: “Ironically it was discussed more by the other side (BJP) than us. In every debate, the justification to abrogate it figured. Even you (LoP) were enlisting achievements in a way; for a moment I believed I was in Parliament because your address sounded like you were debating the President’s Address, and not the LG’s Address…I have only one question for you (Sunil Sharma) – just tell me which of these projects could not have been accomplished unless Article 370 was not abrogated. I could not get this answer to date. You mentioned works like IIT, IIM, AIIMS, Ring Road, and other projects, the majority of which were initiated before 2019. But I would not enter into an argument on that. You just tell me – which development-related work has been completed, which was not possible before the abrogation of Article 370…Even political reservation was linked to the political reservation and asked what benefit they (BJP) granted to the (Gujjar) community with it (political reservation). Just count their (Gujjar MLAs’) number. They are just six, but before you granted them (political) reservation, there were nine (Gujjar) MLAs…LoP was saying that Pakistan was responsible for terrorism and hence we would not talk to it. Shakti Parihar (BJP MLA) is holding Article responsible for terrorism. Tell me – is terrorism here (in J&K) because of Pakistan or Article 370? If it is because of Article 370, then why do you object to talks with Pakistan? And if Pakistan is responsible for terrorism, then why blame Article 370 for it (terrorism)…Who is responsible for increased terrorist activities in Jammu? During our tenure, when SS Slathia and Sham Lal Sharma were also our ministerial colleagues, we had completely wiped out terrorism from a major portion of Jammu, making it free of terror. When did terror attacks take place in Jammu, Reasi, or Rajouri Bazaar? When were pilgrims targeted (by terrorists) in the Jammu region when we were holding the power earlier in J&K. The list is long. Had Article 370 been responsible for terrorism, then terror attacks would have been stopped after its abrogation. It did not happen so (you have) failed on this account as well…”[11]

UT, the obstacle

Taking on other critics like Sajad Lone and expressing regret that his government was not able to implement the NC manifesto because of the conversion of J&K State into a Union Territory, Omar Abdullah said: “…I am not fighting for statehood for my own self. This fight is in the interest of J&K. The things which we want to do can be given practical shape only when we get back statehood, the things which we want back and the things which need to be changed.”

In fact, Omar Abdullah used the opportunity to reassure his constituency that “his government will fulfil all its promises from ‘A to Z’, including those related to prisoners and arbitrary termination of government employees on the charges of anti-national activities…A lot was talked about the NC manifesto, which we have prepared with a lot of thought and is our promise to the people of J&K (in this case Muslims of Kashmir). When we put forth our manifesto before the people, we told them that we gave them five years…We assure the people that we will fulfil all the promises from A to Z, whether related to prisoners or termination of government employees. We are promise bound to do that”.

The NC manifesto had, among other things, also promised to “prioritise the release of political prisoners and youth who have been unjustly detained in jails and are not involved in serious crimes besides seeking amnesty for all political prisoners.” It had also talked about “ending unjust terminations of government employees” and said that “it will address and rectify cases of unjust job terminations, ensuring fair treatment and job security for all employees”.

Referring to the Sajad Gani Lone’s demand that a resolution should have been passed in the House for restoration of statehood instead of passing the resolution in the (first) cabinet meeting (in October 2024), the Chief Minister said that “such a resolution was not deliberately moved in the House considering that every member is supportive of the demand.” “Our dignity has gone with the downgrading of the state. If you wish to move a resolution on it, please go ahead and we will support you…The fight for statehood is based on ‘truth, justice and law’ and its restoration will provide relief to the people of J&K. We will not backtrack from this fight…”[12]]

“Half of our dignity was gone with the (removal of) Statehood (status). Just ask Sham Lal Sharma — former Congress Minister now with the BJP — where he stands in the protocol now. I was above the Union Cabinet Minister as a Chief Minister when J&K was a State. Now, I am even below the Union Minister of State…Hopefully the next year’s address to the Legislative Assembly will be read by the Governor,” he further said.

Defending the anti-state elements

Taking on the BJP for using what he called “derogatory remarks” against those who were liquidated by the state law and order authorities on July 13, 1931, the Chief Minister said: “Your thoughts and ideology can be different, but the words should be used very cautiously…Post-July 13, 1931 agitation, the Maharaja (Hari Singh) had taken a series of steps, including setting up of a (Glancy) Commission (in 1932). A Praja Sabha was set up by the Maharaja, which was then converted to the assembly. None has called them traitors. They were fighting for democracy. The only problem (with the BJP calling them traitors) is that they were Muslims…”

On the cancellation of July 13 and December 5 holidays, Omar Abdullah, among other things, said: “The government can cancel the holidays but their sacrifices can’t be forgotten… He would have himself surrendered the holiday of December 5 if asked for. In fact, Surjit Singh Slathia (who was a minister in Omar-led NC-Congress coalition government) from 2009 to 14 knows that he wanted to reduce holidays and was himself considering doing away with December 5 holiday.”

Taunt

Referring to the statement of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on PoJK, the Chief Minister virtually taunted the Narendra Modi government. He asked: “Who has stopped them from bringing PoJK back? Did we ever say don’t bring PoJK back? They (the BJP) blamed Congress for surrendering Hajipeer to Pakistan (in 1965 war). But what they got after Kargil. They had an opportunity to bring back.” “When you look at the map of J&K, one part is also in China, but you do not talk about it…When the BJP-led Central government brings back PoJK, they should also bring that part of J&K which is presently in China and we will be grateful to you”.[13]

Conclusion

The message from what transpired in the Legislative Assembly on the first four days was loud and clear. It was clear from what the LoP, Sunil Sharma, said that the Modi government will not compromise its stand on J&K. But more than that, it was clear from what Omar Abdullah said and what he did not say that his government would strive to undo all that the Modi government did on August 5, 2019 and implement its subversive manifesto once the political status of J&K elevated from Union Territory to a full-fledged state. He’s just waiting for the restoration of statehood. Will the Modi Government overlook what Omar Abdullah and ilk said in the Assembly and grant full state status to J&K? Will the Modi Government appreciate the fact that J&K was never an organic political unit and further reorganise J&K to empower through a definite political instrument the ignored, discriminated against and marginalized Jammu province to shape and mould its own political destiny within the country and under the Indian Constitution? To be more precise, will the Modi government grant state status to Jammu province and maintain Kashmir as a Union Territory on a permanent basis?

(Concluded)

Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

Reference: –

[1] Detention of few prevents problems for millions: BJP’s Sunil Sharma – Mar 6, 2025, Greater Kashmir

[2] Art 370 is gone, get used to it: LoP – Mar 7, 2025, Daily Excelsior

[3] Detention of few prevents problems for millions: BJP’s Sunil Sharma – Mar 6, 2025, Greater Kashmir

[4] National Conference MLA bats for dialogue with Pakistan to end ‘bloodshed’ in J-K – Mar 6, 2025, PTI News

[5] Better For J&K If Indo-Pak Relations Improve: Farooq Abdullah – Mar 6, 2025, Daily Excelsior

[6] Jaishankar says Kashmir dispute would be solved after return of ‘stolen part ‘ Pakistan says baseless remark – Mar 6, 2025, The Week

[7] BJP leader cautions Speaker: J&K Assembly discussions ‘veering towards’ topics like talks with Pakistan, development of PoK – Mar 7, 2025, The Indian Express

[8] Situation across border very bad despite Chinese help: CM Omar Abdullah – Mar 4, 2025, The Print

[9] Detention of few prevents problems for millions: BJP’s Sunil Sharma – Mar 6, 2025, Greater Kashmir

[10] Some people trying to intimidate silence us CM Omar in J-K Assembly – Mar 6, 2025, The Week

[11] Talking about Article 370 our right, will keep fighting for it: CM Omar – Mar 7, 2025, Greater Kashmir

[12] Some people trying to intimidate silence us CM Omar in J-K Assembly – Mar 6, 2025, The Week

[13] CM confident about Statehood in a year, says next Address can be by Governor – Mar 7, 2025, Daily Excelsior

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