‘NC backing BJP’s agenda’: Opposition slams L-G’s Address

Opposition parties today criticised Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s Address during the Budget session which began on Monday.

During a press conference here, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said it was being hoped that the L-G’s Address would reflect “difficulties and aspirations” of people of Jammu and Kashmir. “Unfortunately... the National Conference-led government has become an extension of BJP’s agenda,” she said.

“Somehow, NC leaders are in a race to legitimise the illegal and unconstitutional decisions of the BJP government.”

Asserting there was no talk “about the addressing the disempowerment of the people”, the PDP chief said it appeared that the NC had “succumbed” to (the pressure) from the BJP.

People’s Conference chief and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone said, “The Governor’s Address is indistinguishable from a possible BJP speech had it been in power.”

“There seems to be total ideological overlap. No mention, not even remotely of Article 370, Article 35A... No mention of the Reorganisation Act,” he posted on X.

“They don’t even want to pretend that they have anything to do with Article 370,” Lone said, adding that he remembered how the election campaigning had focused mainly on Article 370.

Awami Ittehad Party leader and Langate MLA Sheikh Khursheed Ahmad said the L-G’s Address amounted to “cheating” the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“It is the government’s address. People were expecting that there will be talk of special status, but nothing was mentioned about it. It looks like that for the NC, it is a closed chapter now,” said Khursheed, brother of jailed Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid.