Abrar Nabi
Srinagar, Jan 29 (KNS): Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Thursday took a sharp swipe at the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Statehood issue while asserting that the National Conference’s strategy on the matter cannot be publicly disclosed.
Speaking exclusively to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary defended keeping the party’s plans under wraps. “Some matters cannot be shared,” he stated. “Why should we disclose our strategy to the media? There are always two levels to governance—one operates in the backchannel, and one on the front.”
Turning his fire on the BJP, the Deputy CM posed a direct challenge: “The question of restoring Statehood should also be put to the BJP. Their leaders came here, stood as candidates, held daily press conferences at Lal Chowk—ask them! Why are you betraying the people of Jammu and Kashmir? Was it not in their election manifesto? Did they not say they would restore Statehood? Did the Prime Minister and Union Minister Amit Shah not say on record, on the floor of Parliament, that they would not let outsiders buy land in Kashmir? I am not misquoting anything. I know my responsibility as Deputy CM.”
He recalled Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s public appeal from the Independence Day platform for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. “In a democratic country, this is the method—an elected member speaks from a proper platform. We are not like others,” Surinder said.
He said, “Our efforts are on. The matter is also in court. Many have filed litigations in the Supreme Court. Everyone is fighting in their own way. Our struggle is full-fledged to restore the state’s status as soon as possible. This demand is in the NC’s manifesto.”
Taking aim at other political parties in the Jammu and Kashmir, Deputy CM dismissed expectations of praise for the NC from its rivals. “What can you expect from the PDP? Will they praise the National Conference? What can you expect from the BJP? Will they praise the NC? Absolutely not. Or workers from Sajad Lone’s party or any other party here? They will not shower flowers on Omar Abdullah’s government; they will speak against the NC daily. I am not here to answer them; I am answerable to my people. The NC stands shoulder-to-shoulder with them.”
Deputy CM said , “We stand by our issue and our word. There’s a difference between principles and promises. We belong to a land where Lord Ram said, ‘Pran jaye par vachan na jaye’ (Life may go, but the promise must not). Our promise to the people is to restore the lost honour and statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.” (KNS)
