Will run parallel govt if J&K Speaker ‘challenges sovereignty and integrity’ of country: BJP

SRINAGAR: The BJP on Friday said it will run a parallel government in Jammu and Kashmir if Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather continues with his behaviour that “challenges sovereignty and integrity” of the country.

“We had a parallel assembly outside when the Speaker had our MLAs marshalled out. We raised the issues of our areas and the media covered it.

“The Speaker should not take this parallel assembly lightly. If your behaviour challenges Indian integrity and sovereignty, we will run a parallel government and this is my warning to them,” Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma told reporters here.

Sharma said the way the Speaker has conducted the Assembly is condemnable.

“We condemn it. This will be the darkest day in the history of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly. The Assembly was constituted by the people with the hope that their problems regarding water, electricity, hospital and education will be solved.

“However, the Speaker has functioned as an agent of a particular party and performed an unconstitutional and illegal act in an undemocratic way,” Sharma said.

He said all the MLAs had come to the House with the problems of their areas but “the separatist mindset of the ruling NC (National Conference) has lowered the dignity of the House by bringing the resolution”.

“The unfortunate part is that the Speaker is saying the demand for special status is demand for restoration of Article 370. He is acting like a spokesman of the National Conference,” Sharma added.

He said Article 370 was removed by the highest temple of democracy in the country and it was settled by the Supreme Court.

“Article 370 is now history. They are comparing the Article 370 with a word like special status which does not even exist in the Constitution.

“I challenge (chief minister) Omar Abdullah that if the word special status with regard to Jammu and Kashmir is found anywhere in the Constitution, I will retire from politics,” he said.

The BJP leader said the NC wants to start street violence here in the name of special status.

“Under the special status, Kashmiri Pandits were forced to migrate, Asiya Neelofar was murdered, Tufail Mattoo was murdered and Haji Yousuf was killed in the house of the chief minister. They want this (kind of) special status back,” he said. (PTI)