Jammu, Feb 5: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday dared the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to remove Article 370 from the Constitution of India and asserted that the very next day, National Conference (NC) government would bring a resolution explicitly seeking its (Article 370ís) restoration in the House (Legislative Assembly).
“But it (BJP) could not do so as it knew that only Article 370 constitutionally bridged the relationship of J&K with the country,” CM Omar said replying to the debate on the motion of thanks on the Lieutenant Governorís address in the Legislative Assembly.
ìI reiterate that the NC government is resolute in its commitment to fulfil all promises made to the people. Above all among those promises is the restoration of the special status of J&K. Now LOP (Sunil Sharma) Sahab would raise an objection to the expression ìspecial statusî and ask ñ why are you not mentioning Article 370? We donít find it necessary to mention Article 370 because you (BJP-led central government) have not removed it (Article 370) from the Constitution (of India),î the Chief Minister responded to the jibe of the Leader of Opposition on the issue.
Earlier the LOP, while participating in the debate, had taken a dig at the NC-led government that its resolution passed in the maiden J&K Legislative Assembly session of J&K Union Territory was ìrejected by defaultî as there was nothing called ìspecial statusî with reference to J&K in the Constitution of India.
Further explaining the rationale behind not explicitly mentioning Article 370 in the resolution passed in the Legislative Assembly, CM Omar said, ìHad you removed it (Article 370), I would have emphasised the need to incorporate it in the Constitution. It is still there in the Constitution but you have hollowed it out. After the act of hollowing out, you snatched our special status from us (J&K). We are placing Article 370 there only (in the constitution). We are saying that (guaranteed) under it (Article 370), we will get our special status restored.î
He said, ìThat is why, this House passed that resolution in its maiden session that J&Kís special status, with constitutional guarantees, as provided in Article 370, which continues to remain on the statute books, will be restored. We need not say anything more about it. The day you will remove Article 370 from the Constitution, the very next day, we will definitely bring a resolution, in the House, seeking its (Article 370ís) restoration.î
However, the CM said that BJP could not do so.
ìThat you cannot do as both you and I know that the relationship of J&K with this country is constitutionally dependent on Article 370. Although you hollowed out the major portion of Article 370 but that legal portion you could not eradicate. That was why we did not deem it necessary to mention that here (in resolution),î he said.
CM Omar, at the very outset of his reply while winding up the debate, touched the issue, also in context to the opposition membersí dig that several issues which found mention in the LGís address delivered during the last yearís budget session or prior to it, did not figure in it (address) this year (2026).
ìWhen the government continues, it also finds reflection in the continuity of LGís address. That was why there was no repetition of the issues which figured in earlier two addresses. We did not include them thinking we would face the charge of repetition from the opposition. But now we are facing criticism why they (issues or promises) have not been included in the address,î he said.
CM Omar thanked the Lieutenant Governor for considering that his address was not the sole agenda of the session.
ìHe (LG) knew that many things would find mention in the budget and then in the grants and the government would have to present its perspective before the masses on many such occasions. So he (LG) touched on a few aspects in his address,î he said, adding that it (address) spelt out achievements of the government, schemes or plans under execution and the future roadmap.
