Jammu, Nov 11: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary Monday stated that half (of the) “Darbar Move” was accomplished as the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his ministers assumed office in the Civil Secretariat in Jammu.
He was addressing the party workers at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan (NC office) in Jammu after assuming office in the Civil Secretariat this morning.
Choudhary also retorted to the BJP’s offensive launched against him for moving resolution, seeking “special status of J&K and constitutional guarantees”, in the maiden Assembly Session held in Srinagar.
“I’m proud to move a resolution which reflects the aspirations of J&K people, their desire for safeguarding land and job rights. They (BJP) are calling me ‘Jai Chand’ forgetting that every citizen of J&K wants special status,” he said.
Taking a dig at BJP, he stated, “Due to certain compulsions, NC could not contest from all seats in Jammu. Had NC done that BJP would have met Nowshera fate everywhere.”
Reference was to his stunning victory over J&K BJP’s former President Ravinder Raina from Nowshera assembly segment.
J&K National Conference (JKNC) had held a workers’ Conference to discuss critical issues like the restoration of statehood and special status to protect the rights of the people of J&K.
The workers conference was presided over by Rattan Lal Gupta Provincial President Jammu JKNC.
Choudhary reiterated NC’s unwavering commitment to restoring J&K’s special status and statehood, stating that these measures were essential for preserving the unique identity and interests of the J&K people. He emphasized that, as promised by Omar Abdullah, the NC government had passed a resolution for statehood restoration in its first Cabinet meeting.
“We also passed a resolution in the Legislative Assembly to initiate dialogue on restoring the special status of J&K,” he said.
Choudhary condemned the “misbehaviour” by BJP MLA’s in the Assembly. “This resolution is a step towards reversing the injustice done by the central government as it witnessed the unilateral revocation of our special status. That this resolution rekindles hope for the people of J&K especially in securing our land, jobs rights and dignity which are at risk without special status,” he said.
He further pointed out that eleven states, including Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, north east states enjoyed similar protections, and then why the BJP had denied these rights to J&K.
“J&K urgently needs similar protections to safeguard its land and job rights, dire need to protect our resources and shield itself from exploitative elements, such as the liquor mafia, mining mafia, and contractors from outside,” he stated.
Addressing the gathering, Minister for Food Supply and Transport Satish Sharma commended Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his commitment to inclusive governance, ensuring equal representation for the people of the Jammu region.
He highlighted the enduring contributions of Sheikh Abdullah and Dr. Farooq Abdullah, whose vision shaped the political and social landscape of Jammu and Kashmir. “The people of the Jammu region have consistently supported our cause for the restoration of full statehood to J&K. Together, we remain steadfast in our pursuit of this objective,” he remarked.
Earlier Rattan Lal Gupta praised Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary for his historic resolution in the Assembly, which aimed to initiate dialogue on restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s special status as a means to protect the rights of its people.
“This resolution is a milestone in our journey to reclaim the rights and dignity of the people of J&K,” he said.
