Owais Gul
Srinagar, Nov 6: Congress leader and Party’s Chief Whip of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, on Tuesday defended the assembly resolution on Article 370, urging the Modi-led government to respect the democratic will behind it.
Bhat said that the resolution, passed by the elected assembly, is a decisive and well-considered move, not a “half-hearted approach” as characterized by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti.
Bhat said, “She [Mehbooba Mufti] has every right to voice her opinion, but I don’t think it was half-hearted. The National Conference (NC) was very determined in passing this resolution.” He further clarified that while the resolution emphasizes restoring Article 370, it also leaves room for dialogue, advocating for negotiations if the central government has reservations.
“Dialogue is the way forward. If you go by the first paragraph of the resolution, it clearly states that Article 370 should be restored. If the government is hesitant, let them negotiate,” Bhat remarked. He explained that the resolution calls for the reinstatement of Jammu and Kashmir’s original constitutional position, stating that it is now a “democratic obligation” for the central government to consider this demand seriously.
The Congress leader also expressed concern over any potential rejection of the resolution by the central government, adding that, should this occur, further deliberations would be essential. “We will adhere to the coalition dharma. The National Conference has every right to deliberate on this issue; we cannot compel them to take a stance,” Bhat said.
