J&K: A meaningful press conference on statehood

J&K statehood to return at ‘appropriate time,’ reaffirms Centre

The House of Elders, Rajya Sabha, approved a resolution repealing seditious Article 370 and a bill to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir State into two union territories. Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the resolution and the bill. Explaining the circumstances leading to the move, defending the resolution and the Bill, and allaying the Opposition fears, an assertive, determined and fully-equipped Home Minister, inter alia, said, “nothing will happen” and “it won’t be allowed to turn into another battle-torn Kosovo.” “It was heaven on earth and will remain so,” he asserted. “Full statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir at “appropriate time” and after “normalcy returns,” he also said.[1]

Ever since then, the Home Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been telling the Opposition and ardent believers in the concept of special/ separate dispensation based on religion and full state status that Article 370 became a story of the past on August 5 and it will not be restored, and status of full-fledged state would be conferred on the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir only at “appropriate time” and after “normalcy returns.”

Meaningful press conference

However, it was on April 10, 2025, just a day after the conclusion of the first-ever budget session in the Union Territory, which was stormy by any yardstick, that the local BJP leadership held a press conference at the party headquarters (Trikuta Nagar, Jammu) to explain their stand on restoration of statehood. The main speaker was the Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and former minister, Sunil Kumar Sharma. He was very candid and unambiguous. He said that the BJP’s idea of statehood did not align with the state as was being envisioned by the National Conference.

“We want that statehood should come when even the last remnants of terrorism and separatism, if there are, are completely wiped out. But in no case, we want the statehood as envisioned by the National Conference, where one of its senior leaders (Ali Mohd Sagar) favours talks with Pakistan in the Legislative Assembly,” he said. He also said: “Our idea of state does not align with that of the National Conference, where religious slogans are raised in the Legislative Assembly. This is the Legislative Assembly where you raise people’s issues and find solutions to them, and people’s aspirations are met.”

Sunil Sharma also took this opportunity to refer to what happened during the just-concluded budget session and accused the National Conference-led government of deliberately wasting the last three days of the session. “For the very first time in the history of the Jammu and Kashmir legislature, the government itself didn’t let the Assembly work for three consecutive days. In particular, I wanted to mention a Private Member’s Bill related to the ‘statehood’ issue. The BJP also wanted to debate on the issue to expose the misdeeds of the previous governments, in particular the National Conference, which is presently governing Jammu and Kashmir and wants the restoration of the statehood,” he said.

“We desired to expose how it allowed people to get harassed when it was in power and had full control over the police with a full-fledged state…The National Conference wants a state where religious slogans can be raised in the Legislative Assembly to intimidate other sections. I want to clarify that in 1989 (read January 1990), when the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits took place, the National Conference used these slogans as coercive methods…Even in the present scenario, they are trying to create a semblance of ‘jihad’ in the legislative assembly. We will never accept it. The patriotic masses of Jammu and Kashmir will never accept such ‘statehood’ where you raise religious slogans to radicalise the atmosphere and bat for dialogue with Pakistan,” Sunil Sharma further said.

He didn’t just stop here. He further said: “We want statehood with peace and prosperity, with a vibrant atmosphere for business and tourists. The National Conference wants to relive the narrative of terrorists and separatists like Masrat Alam (currently in Tihar). Our vision of statehood is that of a peaceful Jammu and Kashmir for which the BJP’s top leadership, in Parliament, has made a commitment. They have committed to restoring the statehood with prosperity.”

What Sunil Sharma said was as significant as it was meaningful. Even far more significant and meaningful was the fact that Jammu and Kashmir BJP vice president and MLA, Sham Lal Sharma; party general secretary and MLA, Devinder Kumar Manyal; MLA Thakur Darshan Singh; and media incharge Pardeep Mahotra, among others, were present when Sunil Sharma explained away the party’s stand on restoration of statehood.[2]

If what Sunil Sharma said on April 10 was meaningful and significant, what he said on April 12 was also no less meaningful and significant. On April 12, he said there was no need for Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to seek restoration of the Union Territory’s statehood as it was his party’s narrative, and that it would be restored at an appropriate time. “It is unfortunate that the National Conference keeps on harping about statehood. Statehood is our narrative, it is the BJP’s promise,” he said.

“Raising religious and provocative slogans inside the Assembly will not accelerate the process of statehood restoration…The National Conference leaders were attempting to provoke religious sentiments in the assembly. The assembly is not Jamia Masjid. Slogans that should be raised in Jamia Masjid were raised in the assembly. The Assembly is a place for debate and legislation…Do they want to make an Assembly a ring of jihad? Do they want to instigate legislative jihad? Such activities will not be accepted,” he further said.[3]

NC reaction

It was expected that the rattled and disturbed National Conference would react, and it did happen. On April 11, National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar slammed Sunil Sharma for his remarks on the restoration of statehood. “Sunil Sharma’s remarks ‘directly contradict the promises’ made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his election campaign visits to Srinagar and Jammu,” he said. “The LoP’s comments are a far cry from the ‘commitments’ made by the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the people of Jammu and Kashmir…The ‘constant vague assurances’ of statehood being restored without a specific timeline are getting old…It is time for action…,” he further said.[4]

Desperate for statehood, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reacted on April 15. He declared that the “appropriate time” for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir had arrived. Hitting back, he also asserted that his recent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah had left him optimistic.

“We think the appropriate time has come, six months have passed since the assembly elections. (Amit) Shah came here, I had a separate meeting with him, a good one…I am still hopeful that Jammu and Kashmir will soon get its statehood back,” Omar Abdullah was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

At the same time, Omar Abdullah said: “We have said we will continue to keep the issue (special status for Jammu and Kashmir) alive, which we have done…”[5]

Question

Did Sunil Sharma say what he said about the issue of restoration of statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on his own? It’s hard to say. On the contrary, there are potent reasons to believe that he only echoed his high command’s line – line based on the ground realities.

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.

References:

[1] Rajya Sabha approves resolution on J&K – Aug 5, 2019, ET

[2] BJP’s statehood not aligned with that of NC: LoP – Apr 11, 2025, Greater Kashmir

[3] For Omar Abdullah To Seek It: J&K LoP – Apr 12, 2025, State Times

[4] NC slams LoP Sunil Sharma over his remarks on restoration of J-K’s statehood – Apr 11, 2025, The Week

[5] ‘Appropriate time has come’: Why Omar Abdullah is ‘hopeful’ of J&K statehood restoration – Apr 15, 2025, The Indian Express

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