BJP State Spokesperson Prof. Virender Gupta, while reacting to the statement of Ali Mohd. Sagar that National Conference shall bring a resolution to restore autonomy of J&K State in the state assembly said that National Conference whenever it is in peril, by its habit always sing the tune of autonomy. He said that on the earlier occasion also it constituted two committees one on the state autonomy and other on regional autonomy and added that though, it placed the recommendations of State Autonomy Committee in the legislature and accordingly passed the resolution which was forwarded to the government of India, it did not show any concern to the regional autonomy report. He said that the fate of the State Autonomy Report is well known to the public. He opined that government at the Centre can afford to give so called Greater Autonomy to the state as it has serious repercussions on the safety and integrity of the country. However, he said that it was under the jurisdiction of state government to give regional autonomy to all the regions of the state as was promised by the Late Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah in 1953 and added that on this issue NC may get support of all the people of the state as well as the national leadership of the country.
Prof. Virender said that the Kashmir Muslims cannot be befooled all the time on slogan of great autonomy and the demand cannot get the people mandate on the issue, as NC is expecting. He further said that the majority of the people of Jammu & Kashmir and even the separatists to whom it wants to woo to get their sympathy do not endorse the autonomy demand as the slogan of autonomy only serve the interests of elite class of Kashmiri Muslims. Prof. Virender said that the people of Jammu region, Ladakh region and a good number of Muslim population of Kashmir do not support the demand of autonomy.
Prof. Virender further said that demanding autonomy shall be betrayal of the founder father of NC, Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah, who on taking the rein of the state in 1975 under 1975 accord with Indira Gandhi expressed his agreement to the report of DD Thakur, then Dy. Chief Minister of the state, that all amendments made in the state constitution and thereby introduction of central laws in the state are for the benefit of the people of the state. He further reminded to NC leaders that during NC rule after 1975 about 25 new amendments are made in the state constitution to give way for the applicability of the Central laws in the state.
Prof. Virender said that lot of water has flown throw River Jhelum, Ravi and Tawi since accession of J&K state with India; what has been done cannot be reversed. He stated that the only path to be followed is to complete the left over work of full integration of state with India and to provide equal status to all the regions of the state in the matter of legislation, administration and development.
