Srinagar, Sep 25: Minister for Education Sakina Itoo Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members of coming to the Legislative Assembly only to “create a ruckus” saying the party was not concerned about the problems of the people.
Talking to Greater Kashmir on the disruption by BJP members over the resolution moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah seeking restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Itoo said the opposition should have used the Assembly to raise public issues and seek the government’s response.
“What can the BJP do without creating a ruckus?” she said.
The minister said the BJP legislators, if genuinely concerned about the people of J&K, should have spoken about issues concerning the people, including those in the PirPanjal region.
“If they shared their concern, they would have talked about the people and about the PirPanjal region, about J&K and about the problems of the people of J&K. They would have got the government’s response as well,” she said.
Itoo said that the BJP was “just indulging in politics” and had little interest in issues affecting the people.
“They don’t do anything like that because they are not for the people. They are just indulging in politics but they don’t get anything by creating ruckus in the House,” she said.
On the issue of Statehood resolution, the minister said the issue had already been considered by the government and the Cabinet before being brought to the Assembly.
“Today, the CM moved the statehood resolution. We had passed it in the Cabinet earlier. After that, we have been waiting for two years,” she said.
Itoo said the government waited for the promise made by the Centre to be fulfilled but the “Centre didn’t fulfill its promise till date.”
She also rejected the argument that the Assembly should restrict its discussion to statehood and not revisit the issue of Article 370.
“Why won’t we debate Article 370? We had Article 370. We have the right. The way they have snatched it, they will have to talk about it,” the minister said.
She said that issues relating to the laws and rights that existed in J&K before 2019 would also have to be discussed.
“And we will have to talk about all the things that were here before 2019. Laws, rights, and everything, we will have to talk about them,” Itoo said.
