Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Sunil Sharma, on Saturday said there is no mention of any “special status” for Jammu and Kashmir in the Indian Constitution and accused the National Conference (NC) of misleading people by repeatedly raising the issue.Speaking in the Assembly, Sharma said that constitutional demands must be backed by explicit constitutional provisions. “As far as I know and have studied, there is no word called ‘special status’ in the Indian Constitution in relation to Jammu and Kashmir’s accession or merger. When you make a constitutional demand, it must have a constitutional basis,” he said.
Sharma argued that the term “special status” is used loosely by several states to seek economic or employment-related packages and should not be linked to Article 370. “Special status can mean an employment package or a financial package. Do not connect it with Article 370. Article 370 is history and has been buried,” he said.
Referring to sloganeering by an NC MLA in the House, Sharma asked where such a status exists in the Constitution. “If anyone can show me where the Constitution mentions a special status for J&K, I am ready to face any punishment. But this claim is a lie,” he said.
The BJP leader accused the Abdullah family of deceiving the people of Kashmir and using the demand for special status to cover up governance failures. He alleged that the issue was being raised to legitimise past electoral promises.
Sharma further said that instead of addressing concerns of daily wagers, unemployed youth and beneficiaries under AAY, DPL and EWS categories, the ruling party was resorting to rhetoric. “When questioned on failures, they raise the bogey of special status,” he said.