NC didn’t allow Assembly to run; it ran away from discussions: LoP Sharma

Jammu, April 12: Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and senior BJP leader, Sunil Sharma, on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the ruling party, National Conference (NC), accusing it of disrupting the proceedings of the House during the last three days of recently concluded budget session.Addressing a press conference here, Sharma said, “For the last three days of the budget session, the NC did not allow the Assembly to function. We want to raise important issues concerning the people, but they are creating chaos and not letting us speak.”Sharma said the BJP-led central government remains firm in its commitment to Jammu and Kashmir’s holistic development. “All centrally-sponsored schemes will continue to run without any hurdles. We are ensuring that every section of society benefits from these schemes,” he asserted.Reiterating BJP’s stand on peace and security in the Union Territory, Sharma said, “We will not allow the return of stone-pelting, shutdowns, or violence. The situation has improved significantly. Schools are open, there are no hartals, and normalcy has returned to downtown Srinagar, which once remained shut under previous regimes.”Taking a direct dig at the NC leadership, Sharma claimed, “They often say 10,000 workers were killed—but these killings happened during the regimes of Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah. Since law and order came under the Union Home Ministry led by Amit Shah, not a single NC worker has been harmed.”He said that the killings of NC workers should be probed. “NC should either acknowledge that they failed to protect the lives of their workers or where they hand in glove with the conspirators,” Sharma added.Sharma said, “The National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), instead of invoking the Public Safety Act (PSA) to safeguard innocent lives, chose to let miscreants roam free—resulting in the killing of civilians—all in an attempt to appease separatist forces. In contrast, the BJP-led government acted decisively by putting such elements behind bars and protecting the lives of ordinary people.”He also dismissed the National Conference’s constant pitch for the restoration of statehood, saying, “Statehood is part of BJP’s narrative, not NC’s. Omar Abdullah should not mislead people. Statehood will be restored at an appropriate time. Raising religious and provocative slogans inside the Assembly will not accelerate that process.”The BJP leader further alleged that NC leaders were attempting to provoke religious sentiments within the House. “The Assembly is a place for debate and legislation, not for raising religious slogans. Are they trying to create a communal divide?” he questioned.Referring to past controversies, Sharma reminded, “When the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed became Chief Minister, he released separatist leader Masrat Alam. It was NC workers who celebrated his release.”Sharma said that terrorism has been confined to forests and jungles. “There is a difference between terrorism and disruption. Peace has been established and terrorists have been pushed to the hinterland,” he added.Sharma said that the BJP is committed to restoring and preserving peace. “Today, even the graves of NC leaders are protected by security forces. That speaks volumes about the progress we have made. Business is growing, schools are running, and there is a visible change on the ground.” (KNO)