Smriti Irani of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday hit out at the Opposition’s INDIA bloc as the Jammu and Kashmir assembly continued to face disruption after Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) MLA and brother of Engineer Rashid, Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh, displayed a banner on Article 370 in the House Addressing a press conference, the former Union minister made it clear that Article 370, which was abrogated in 2019, would not be restored.
“…Through the BJP workers, I want to assure citizens of India and tell leaders of INDI Alliance that Article 370 will not be restored (in Jammu & Kashmir) and their (INDI alliance) attempt to separate Jammu and Kashmir from India will not be successful,” Smriti Irani said.
On Wednesday, the Jammu and Kashmir assembly passed a resolution seeking the restoration of the region’s special status amid ruckus as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators tore copies of the document, stormed the well of the House, and raised slogans against the speaker.
J&K deputy chief minister and National Conference (NC) leader Surinder Choudhary moved the resolution, which called upon the “Government of India to initiate dialogue with elected representatives” to bring back the region’s special status, scrapped in 2019.
“I want to ask all the leaders of the Congress, National, and the INDI Alliance: After the removal of Article 370, the rights granted to the tribal community in Jammu and Kashmir—will the Congress and the INDI Alliance stand against those rights?…Yesterday’s resolution shows the Congress and the India Alliance leaders’ tactical support for extremism and terrorism…,” Smriti Irani told reporters.
“Yesterday, the INDI Alliance attempted to strangle the Indian Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir. The scenes from Jammu and Kashmir, where the Constitution of India was torn apart, show an audacious disregard for the rights of tribal communities, Dalits, and women. The Congress-led Indian Alliance’s actions will not be tolerated by a vigilant India,” the BJP leader added.
The Congress is not part of the Jammu and Kashmir government despite fighting the polls in alliance with the National Conference.
BJP members continued to protest the resolution in the J&K assembly on Thursday, and three party MLAs were marshalled out in the directions of Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather.
