J&K Assembly resolution on special status not rejected: CM Omar Abdullah

Jammu, Mar 3 (PTI) The resolution on special status passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in its first sitting last year has not been rejected by the Central government which is a big thing, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Monday and asserted that there was no need to bring any other resolution on Article 370, which was abrogated in August 2019.

The chief minister said all legislators need to work together to help the government to fulfill its priorities for public welfare.

“What we have to do was done in the first (assembly) session (in November, 2024). The resolution is still holding after passed by the House. The PDP and others helped us in passing the resolution and it is still holding is a big thing,” Abdullah told reporters outside the assembly here while responding to a question that some members are planning to bring a fresh resolution to condemn abrogation of Article 370.

The 40-day Budget Session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, having a total of 22 sittings, began on Monday with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s address.

The chief minister said some people were thinking that any resolution on special status will get outrightly rejected by the Central government.

“The resolution was not rejected and the fact of the matter is that it is still holding so there is no need to talk further on this,” he said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution on November 6, asking the Centre to work out a constitutional mechanism for restoring special status of the erstwhile state.

Abdullah said the National Conference will not repeat what it had already done.

“It is not like that we will repeat this thing. What we have to do was done in the first session. If we had not brought that resolution, then there was a possibility of holding discussions on it. We bought a resolution and the House passed it with majority so what is there to talk further on it,” he said.

The chief minister said the House will meet on Tuesday to discuss the lieutenant governor’s address and the members are free to raise their issues in the House.

“There will a talk inside the House and not outside it. This is not the way,” he said when asked about the protest by independent MLA Khursheed Ahmed, demanding justice for the families of two persons killed in Sopore and Kathua recently as well as restoration of Article 370 and statehood.

Abdullah said the government will respond to the issues, which will be raised by the members in the House.

“The lieutenant governor was speaking on behalf of the government, highlighting its priorities. The members need to cooperate as we have to achieve the goal together,” he said.

The chief minister also ruled out any alliance with the BJP and said there is no scope or need for such a thing.

“We both have different ideologies and there is also a difference of heaven and earth on our approach with regard to J&K,” he said.