Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday said the BJP wanted that the people of J&K to change the goalpost and only demand statehood or elections.
PDP chief spokesperson Suhail Bukhari said that the party used to talk about the solution of Kashmir and the regime of the BJP and the RSS, from the beginning wanted to change the goalposts of the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“We used to talk about the resolution of the J & K issue. Then they (BJP government) snatched our special status. Our state was downgraded into two union territories. They are not holding elections. They want the goal posts to change and we should surrender to the situations so that we will be in those circumstances that we will ask just to conduct the elections or restoration of statehood,” Bukhari said during a press conference.
He said the government wants the people to demand the restoration of statehood and not talk about the restoration of J&K’s special status.
“The PDP stands for the resolution of Jammu and Kashmir. Whatever happened on August 5 has further complicated the existing problems of J&K,” the chief spokesperson said.
On the ongoing Supreme Court hearing on Article 370, where Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said on Tuesday that the government will make an elaborate statement on restoration of statehood on August 31, Bukahri said the question before the Supreme court is that the government of India has unilaterally, illegally and unconstitutionally snatched the special status.
“The statehood restoration and UT status are not essentially important. The larger question that needs to be addressed is whether the parent act (Article 370) abrogation and incident is illegal, and our question is still for the constitutional validity of the Centre’s decision,” the PDP leader said.
Bukahri said that it suits the BJP and the RSS to change the goalpost so that the larger aspirations, questions will get aside.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Zaid, a prominent young businessman hailing from Hawal, Srinagar, has joined the PDP. The event took place in the presence of PDP’s president Mehbooba Mufti.
“Sheikh’s decision to enter the realm of politics has been motivated by his admiration for Mehbooba Mufti’s fearless and unwavering commitment to fighting for the rights of future generations,” a PDP spokesman said.
