Srinagar, Feb 4 (PTI) Peoples Conference president Sajad Lone on Tuesday denounced the draft proposal for the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the J-K Assembly, claiming it was an explicit ratification of the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir special status by the Centre.
Criticising the composition of the assembly committee that framed the draft, Lone said the National Conference had on purpose constituted the committee with seven MLAs from the ruling party and two from the opposition BJP.
"The ruling NC-led government purposely constituted a committee with seven ruling alliance members and two BJP members. There was no one from Kashmir-based opposition parties or MLAs," Lone said in a post on X.
"This committee endorses all changes made on August 5, 2019. By virtue of this draft, they even take away references to the J&K Constitution and bills governing permanent residents from the rules," he added.
Terming the draft proposal as "the most explicit and unforgivable ratification of August 5, 2019 changes," the former minister warned that its endorsement would "effectively end, once and for all, any scope for a legal challenge to the August 5 changes in the future." Expressing his dismay, Lone said "while we dreamt of an unambiguous resolution by the new assembly rejecting August 5, 2019... now we have a shocker." He alleged that the same assembly is being used to bury any such chances of legal challenges in the future.
"The present assembly, reflecting the will of the people of J-K, will now be remembered as the endorser, not the rejector, of August 5, 2019," he added.
Lone labelled the draft proposal "a cruel joke at the expense of the people of Kashmir" and accused the NC and the BJP of a covert agreement to normalise August 5, 2019.
"First, they script the context. NC starts the 'all are BJP' discourse. Second, the BJP mysteriously behaves in a manner that endorses that discourse. The discourse is strengthened and then elections are announced," he said.
The Peoples Conference MLA from Handwara said the people of J-K, to some extent, subscribe to the "all others are BJP" discourse and claimed that a retired "old war horse" was in continuous engagement with the NC for the past three years to ensure total compliance of the agencies in favour of the now-ruling party.
"This 42-seat lottery is a gift to endorse. The NC is the master endorser of all the changes that Delhi had brought in," Lone charged.
Drawing historical parallels, Lone recalled the past "gifts" given in exchange for endorsements, citing the 1975 arrangement where a government was formed without MLAs to approve the constitutional erosions from 1950 to 1975.
"The 1996 gift of government on a platter by conducting an exercise of selection in Kashmir and calling it an election - that was to endorse the killings and acts of violence committed by the state. And now, the 2024 gift to endorse changes made on August 5, 2019," he added.
"It is a curse to be an MLA of an assembly that will be remembered for endorsing August 5," he remarked. PTI MIJ DV DV