SRINAGAR: The newly elected assembly of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) passed a resolution against Article 370 on Wednesday seeking the restoration of the special status that was taken away in August 2019 during the regime of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The resolution was tabled by deputy chief minister and National Conference leader Surinder Singh Chaudhry in the assembly. According to Kashmir Media Service, opposition BJP members strongly opposed the resolutions. However, leader Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Agha Syed Ruhollah Mehdi strongly reacted to the negative attitude of BJP members and said that the majority of the Assembly members strongly supported the resolution seeking the complete restoration of Article 370. He vowed to further expedite the struggle for the restoration of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Taking part in the debate, Surinder Singh Chaudhry said that the people of the Occupied Kashmir want to restore the special status of the disputed region, saying that they would achieve their goal. He added that they passed the resolution seeking the restoration of article 370 as per the wish of the youth of Jammu.
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The leader of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti thanked Sajjad Lone and all independent MLAs to table and approve the resolution against the Article 370.
Commenting over the development, political analysts said that the approval of the resolution against Article 370 is a major blow to extremist Modi’s Hindutva ideology. They added that this is a clear message to New Delhi that the people of Kashmir strongly reject India.
People of Kashmir also expressed happiness over the development and demanded that more and more pressure should be built to press New Delhi.
The debate over the restoration of occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s special status dominated the proceedings of the IIOJK Assembly on Thursday. During the session, Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh, an MLA from the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) and the brother of jailed MP Engineer Rashid, displayed a banner calling for the restoration of Article 370, Kashmir Media Service reported.
During the assembly proceeding, opposition members from the BJP opposed the move, leading to heated exchanges with the treasury members who reiterated their demand for restoration of the special status of the occupied region. The heated debate briefly halted the assembly proceedings. The chaos unfolded during a rare five-day IIOJK Assembly session, held after a six-year hiatus.
As BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma spoke against the resolution, Khurshid Sheikh entered the well of the House holding the banner. BJP members quickly seized the banner, further sparking the disorder. Amid the uproar, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather adjourned the session temporarily to restore order.
Meanwhile, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) introduced a new resolution on Thursday, calling for the restoration of both Articles 370 and 35A.
