JAMMU, OCT 3: BJP National Office Prabhari, Rajya Sabha MP and Gujarat Prabhari Tarun Chugh has criticised the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference government over its handling of the statehood issue, describing the recently passed Assembly resolution as a political move that, in his assessment, seeks to shift public attention away from governance and implementation of election commitments.
Chugh’s remarks came days after the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly passed a resolution seeking the immediate restoration of full statehood to the Union Territory amid strong protests and a walkout by BJP legislators. The resolution also referred to earlier Assembly resolutions of 2000 and 2024, which became a major point of contention between the ruling benches and the BJP.
Arguing that the Centre has already expressed its commitment to restoring statehood, Chugh said the Omar Abdullah government should concentrate on issues directly affecting citizens, particularly employment, development and delivery of its electoral commitments. He called upon the Chief Minister to present the government’s performance record before the people and explain progress on the promises made during the Assembly elections.
The BJP leader also criticised what he described as an attempt to revive issues associated with the political discourse of earlier decades. He said Jammu and Kashmir had moved beyond the politics of the 1990s and maintained that the aspirations of the people were increasingly centred on employment opportunities, infrastructure, investment, tourism and economic growth.
The statehood resolution has become a significant political fault line in the Assembly. While the ruling National Conference and several other parties supported the move, BJP legislators objected particularly to references connecting the resolution with earlier demands concerning autonomy and the constitutional position of J&K before August 2019. Reports on the Assembly proceedings said several amendments sought references to Article 370, special status and other elements of the earlier constitutional framework.
Chugh said the BJP would continue to function as a strong opposition in the Assembly and claimed that its legislators would firmly raise issues concerning the interests of the people. He also accused the NC and Congress of pursuing what he termed a “skewed agenda” and contrasted this with the BJP’s emphasis, in his words, on development-oriented politics.
On infrastructure, Chugh credited the Union government with progress in roads, railways and other major development projects in J&K, attributing these initiatives to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development agenda. He alleged that the present administration was not adequately utilising the potential available to the Union Territory in tourism and economic activity.
Chugh further alleged that growing public questions over governance had prompted the NC government to focus increasingly on political issues. These remarks represent the BJP’s political assessment of the government’s performance; the NC government has presented restoration of statehood as a central political and constitutional commitment and has argued in the Assembly that the Union Territory’s present governance structure limits the powers of the elected government.
On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Chugh defended the exercise as necessary for maintaining accurate voter lists and electoral integrity. He questioned Congress criticism of the process and referred to previous instances of intensive electoral-roll revision under earlier governments.
Chugh also attacked Congress over its criticism of the Election Commission and questioned how the party could simultaneously challenge the electoral system while participating in elections and forming governments in different states. His remarks were part of a broader political criticism of the Opposition’s position on electoral reforms.
Chugh also congratulated Indian sportspersons for their performance at the Asian Games and praised the bravery of an Indian pilot whose actions, according to him, helped avert a major catastrophe and save a large number of lives.
He said Prime Minister Modi’s interaction with the pilot represented a moment of national pride and criticised the Congress for what he described as insufficient recognition of the incident.
Concluding his remarks, Chugh said the BJP stood for what he described as constructive development politics rather than “breakage politics”, while accusing Congress of a history of political instability. He maintained that Jammu and Kashmir’s future should be centred on development, employment, infrastructure and effective governance.
His comments come amid heightened political debate in J&K following the Assembly’s statehood resolution, with the ruling parties and BJP presenting sharply different interpretations of the purpose, language and broader implications of the move.
