National Conference Additional General Secretary and Former Minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra Sunday dared Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma to resign and seek a fresh mandate to gauge where the BJP stands in the Jammu region, which had given the party 29 seats in the 2024 Legislative Assembly elections.
Sub-office of National Conference was inaugurated at opposite Hari Singh Park in Jammu City by Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, Former Minister and Additional General Secretary National Conference and Provincial President Rattan Lal Gupta.
Interacting with media persons after inaugurating the National Conference Sub-office, Sadhotra, as per a statement, said the BJP had lost credibility and public confidence because of its anti-J&K and anti-people policies.
To a question on the Leader of Opposition’s unsolicited advice to the Chief Minister Omar to resign, Sadhotra questioned his credentials saying the BJP’s contribution towards restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the party had made commitments on the floor of Parliament and also given an assurance before the Supreme Court. “What has the BJP done so far to fulfil its solemn commitment on statehood?” he asked, adding that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were waiting for the promise to be honoured. For this public cause, sitting Chief Minister Jenab Omar Abdullah sat on Dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, he said adding this is first such protest signifying the issue involved. Sadhotra said that despite the BJP being in power at the Centre, the Business Rules for Jammu and Kashmir were yet to be cleared, which, he observed, was keeping the administration caught in a situation of uncertainty and dual control. “The people are suffering because of dual governance. Democratic norms have been trampled upon and the elected government is being denied the space it requires to discharge its constitutional responsibilities effectively,” he said.
He said the situation had created a sense of disempowerment among different sections of society. The youth are looking for jobs and opportunities, women want security and economic empowerment, farmers need support and workers expect dignity and livelihood. Instead of addressing these concerns, the BJP is busy indulging in political rhetoric, he said.
Sadhotra said the Leader of Opposition had no moral ground to question the performance of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who, he said, was braving all odds to serve the people of both regions and all sub-regions of Jammu and Kashmir. “It is easy to sit in opposition and make allegations.
The real test is to seek the people’s mandate,” he said, challenging Sharma to resign and contest an election to establish whether the BJP still enjoys the same support in Jammu that it claimed during the 2024 Assembly polls.
Speaking to the reporters, Provincial President Rattan Lal Gupta said the National Conference had accepted the people’s mandate with humility and was committed to working for the restoration of the rights, dignity and democratic institutions of Jammu and Kashmir.
Gupta said the National Conference government was working under difficult circumstances and facing challenges arising from the existing constitutional and administrative arrangement. Despite these constraints, he said, the Chief Minister had remained accessible to the people and continued to raise issues concerning every region and section of society.
Sadhotra and Gupta appealed to the party cadre to remain united, disciplined and connected with the people. “The challenges before Jammu and Kashmir are serious and require a strong, committed and grassroots-oriented National Conference,” he said. They exhorted the cadre to strengthen the organizational base of the party at every level and intensify public outreach.
They said the newly inaugurated sub-office would provide an additional platform for workers and people to remain connected with the party and facilitate regular interaction on issues concerning the public. “National Conference has a historic responsibility towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
We have to meet the present challenges with unity, courage and commitment,” Sadhotra said.
Prominent among those present on the occasion include Ayub Malik, Provincial Secretary, Pardeep Bali, Surjeet Singh Manhas, Chander Mohan Sharma, Naresh Bittu, Raghubir Singh Manhas, Ashok Attri, Rakesh Pargotra, Nahar Singh, Ayesha Gupta, Priyanka Dogra, Anju Dogra, Rita Gupta, Dilshada, Shallu, Bharat, Bhushan, Veerji Bhat, Jatinder Singh Lucky, Gurmeet Singh Jimmy, Sewak Singh, Ayesha Bhan, Sewak Singh, Sandesh Shan, Tariq Bhat, Bahadur Lal, Parvinder Singh, Anil Sharma, Rajesh Gupta, Nitish Goswami, Hamid Choudhary, Jatinder, Nadeem Choudhary, Ashanand, Anup Sharma, Farman Ali, Ashraf Ali, Tejinder Singh, Anoop, Satpal Karlopia, Shabir Samyal, Somraj Taroch, Amit Kumar Jimmy, Shakeel Ahmed Tony, Sandeep Manhas, Paramjeet Singh, Vishavdev, Subash, Davinder Singh, Tarsem, Gaurav Bhagat, besides a number of other senior leaders, office bearers and party workers.
