J&K assembly disallows Lone’s Article 370 resolution; Sajad slams reasons

Jammu and Kashmir's assembly disallowed People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone's resolutions on restoring Article 370 and returning detainees, citing law and order constraints. Lone criticized the rejection as a restriction on free expression and took a swipe at the National Conference's vague resolution for restoring special status. He emphasized the importance of expressing opinions and representing the people's will.

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir assembly on Sunday informed People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone that his resolutions on restoring Article 370 and bringing back Kashmiri detainees booked under Public Safety Act to the state had been disallowed. Lone questioned the justification of the rejection of his proposed resolution on the ground that law and order and shifting of detainees were beyond the assembly’s domain. “We may not be able to make laws, get detainees back, or restore Article 370, but no one can stop us from expressing our opinion.

By disallowing the resolution on political prisoners, they are restricting free expression, which is very dangerous,” he said. He also took a swipe at National Conference (NC), mocking its “so-called resolution” passed in the assembly after it took office. On Nov 7 last year, the assembly passed an NC resolution urging the Centre to initiate dialogue with elected representatives of J&K for restoring its special status and constitutional guarantees.

The resolution, passed by voice vote, received support from all parties except BJP. Lone criticized the resolution, arguing that “special status” lacks constitutional validity and could apply even to a Union Territory (UT). He pointed out that while NC’s election manifesto clearly vowed to pass a resolution for restoring Article 370 and releasing political prisoners, its actual resolution remained vague.

“Our argument is that UT governance is a new model, and no one in the House has experience with it. But that doesn’t mean ideas and opinions should be capped. The House represents the will of the people of J&K, and there should be no restrictions on experience or expression,” he said.

While the NC resolution did not explicitly mention Article 370 or August 5, 2019, Lone’s resolution read: “The House strongly condemns the unconstitutional and illegal abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A, along with the enactment of the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, by the Govt of India. This House urges the Govt of India to restore J&K’s pre-August 5, 2019, constitutional position.” Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with EID Wishes , Messages and quotes !.