Srinagar, Jun 4 (KNS): Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) president and former minister Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen on Thursday threw a sharp challenge at the National Conference (NC)-led government over its proposed protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, questioning whether the ruling party is seeking a complete restoration of the pre-August 2019 constitutional arrangement or merely a "diluted" version of statehood.
While welcoming the Omar Abdullah government's decision to finally hit the streets in the national capital, Yaseen said the NC owes it to the people to clarify its political objective. "The party must come clean on what exactly it is demanding from the Centre. Is it seeking the same statehood that existed before August 5, 2019, with full constitutional safeguards and protections, or a hollow form of statehood without any guarantees?" he asked in a statement issued here.
Yaseen pointed out that restoration of statehood is not a favour but a commitment already made by the Union Government, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah having publicly assured Parliament and the people of J&K on the issue. "Statehood has already been promised on the floor of Parliament. The Centre must fulfil it without any further delay," he said.
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The PDF president also accused the NC of diverting public attention from its core electoral promises on restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A, which were revoked on August 5, 2019. "The people did not vote for the National Conference merely for statehood. The party sought votes in the name of restoring constitutional and political rights. Two years have passed, and the government has achieved nothing on those promises," he alleged.
Yaseen warned that if the NC is seeking a statehood arrangement devoid of meaningful constitutional protections, it would amount to misleading the people and betraying the electoral mandate. "The people voted with certain expectations. If those aspirations are now reduced to a limited demand for statehood without safeguards, the government is not respecting the people's mandate," he remarked.
He further said the Jantar Mantar protest would remain a "routine political drama" unless there is clarity of purpose and sincerity of intent. However, he added that if the NC unequivocally demands restoration of pre-August 2019 status with constitutional guarantees, "we are prepared to extend our support. But the people deserve clarity, not political theatrics." (KNS)