Lone khalid cniSrinagar, CNI NEWS: Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Sunil Sharma on Monday said the BJP

supports restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir but opposes references to the Assembly resolutions passed in 2000 and 2024.Addressing reporters in Srinagar, as per news agency CNI NEWS, LoP Sharma said the BJP would support a resolution confined to restoration of statehood, but objected to the inclusion of references to earlier resolutions concerning autonomy and special status.“If the CM brings only a Statehood resolution, we will support it. Statehood is the agenda of the BJP and we are committed to it. It will come,” he said.Sharma said the BJP had opposed the resolution in its present form because of references to the 2000 autonomy resolution and the 2024 special-status resolution.“The resolution was moved by the CM. If it was only for Statehood, we would have taken part. But the references to 2000 and 2024 violate the

Constitution,” he said.The LoP also criticised the Congress over its position during the Assembly proceedings and questioned whether it supported restoration of the pre-1953 constitutional position, Article 370 and Article 35A.“Congress got exposed today and they have to answer the country. Do they want the pre-1953 situation, Article 370 and 35A? They should answer and their leaders should be held accountable,” Sharma said.He said there was no room for what he described as a “Pakistan agenda” in Jammu and Kashmir and asserted that the region would remain an integral part of India.“J&K is an integral part of India and it will always remain. There is no room for any Pakistan agenda here,” he said.Sharma said the BJP was not opposed to every demand raised by the opposition, but maintained that issues

concerning Jammu and Kashmir should be discussed keeping in view the security situation.“It is not that the opposition will oppose everything. J&K is a sensitive state and we have neighbours who always try to take advantage of things and disturb peace,” he said.He said the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir was peaceful and that restoration of statehood remained the outstanding demand.“Today the situation is peaceful and only Statehood is missing. BJP is in support of the Statehood demand of the government,” he said.On the timeline for restoration of statehood, Sharma questioned the Chief Minister’s authority to set a deadline.“Who is the CM to set a timeline?

Statehood will be given and we are committed to it. Discussions should not be taken in a hurry,” he said.The LoP also criticised Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather for allowing the resolution to be taken up despite BJP objections and said the party had moved a motion seeking his removal.Sharma further said the BJP would launch protests across Jammu and Kashmir against the resolution in its present form, particularly opposing references to issues linked to the pre-1953 period. CNI NEWS