Suhail Khan
Jammu, Feb 06 ; Statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir only after the Central government is assured that no youth in the Union Territory picks up a gun, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sunil Sharma said on Thursday.
Sunil Sharma, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, told The Web Story/The Varmul Post on the sidelines of the ongoing Budget session that the previous government led by Omar Abdullah of the National Conference was responsible for the deaths of young civilians until 2014.
“If you analyse the incidents up to 2014, it is evident that young boys and teenagers lost their lives. The administration in charge at that time was the National Conference government under Omar Abdullah,” Sharma said.
He contrasted the present situation with the past, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies for the change. “Today, the youth in Jammu and Kashmir are progressing due to the schemes of the Narendra Modi government. They are no longer engaging in unlawful activities,” he observed.
The BJP leader pointed out that the year 2025 ended without any youth in Kashmir being killed after taking up arms, describing it as a significant achievement. “During the tenure of the National Conference, it was common for 300-400 young men to join militant ranks annually. Reducing militancy to this level marks a major policy success for the Modi government,” he stated.
Sharma accused Omar Abdullah and the National Conference of attempting to mislead the youth again. “By raising such issues, Abdullah’s party aims to instigate unrest among the youth, which will not be tolerated now. Their provocative statements are intended to amplify demands for statehood,” he alleged.
He emphasised that the restoration of statehood is contingent upon durable peace. “Statehood will be reinstated only when the Modi government is confident of sustained peace. Until then, it will not be restored,” Sharma added.
The statehood of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked in August 2019 when its special status under Article 370 was abrogated and the region was reorganised into two Union Territories.
Notably, Earlier this week Sharma launched a sharp attack on the National Conference in the Assembly, accusing it of a “U-turn” on the statehood issue for Jammu and Kashmir following public pressure.
The BJP leader framed the grant of statehood as a commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting the NC’s demand was opportunistic. “Statehood will come only when Narendra Modi’s commitment is there,” he stated.
He questioned the NC’s historical stance, contrasting it with the BJP’s agenda. “Your agenda was Article 370. Your agenda was Article 35-A. Your agenda was to rename Shankaracharya Hill as Takht-e-Sulaiman. From where will you get statehood? This is our agenda. This is Narendra Modi’s agenda,” Sharma added.
