Jammu, Apr 10 (PTI) Asserting that any attempt to turn the Legislative Assembly into a platform for extremist ideology will not be accepted, the opposition BJP on Tuesday accused the ruling National Conference (NC) of disrupting the functioning of the House and said statehood should be restored in Jammu and Kashmir only after terrorism and separatism are completely uprooted from the soil.

The party hit out at the NC, alleging that it did not allow the Assembly to function for the last three days. It said the ruling party created a history in the House by enforcing a logjam without caring about the people’s wishes and aspirations.

“If there are any remaining roots of separatism or terrorism, we want them to be uprooted completely, and only then should statehood be restored,” Leader of Opposition (LoP) and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma told reporters here.

Sharma took a dig at the NC government for promoting, what he called, “radical ideology” in the Assembly and said, “We are not in favour of granting statehood at any cost if it means returning to a setup where a senior National Conference leader in the Assembly talks about dialogue with Pakistan and where slogans like ‘Naara-e-Takbeer, Allahu Akbar’ are raised.” “This is not Jama Masjid, where such religious slogans should be shouted. This is a legislative assembly, where people’s issues are discussed and solutions are found. The expectations people have from their representatives are fulfilled here,” Sharma said.

On Tuesday, the NC and Congress members raised the religious slogan “Naara-e-Takbir, Allahu Akbar” in the Assembly during protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

Drawing parallels with the 1989 exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, Sharma said such slogans had previously been used by the NC to instil fear.

“The National Conference wants a state where such religious slogans are raised in the Assembly. We will never accept attempts to radicalise the Assembly or bring back an era of extremism,” he said.

Sharma reiterated the BJP’s commitment to restoring statehood but only after ensuring a secure and inclusive environment.

“The party’s top leadership has already given assurance in Parliament. But we want a state where there is peace, prosperity and equality for all citizens.” He said the nationalist people of J-K will never accept a state where such slogans are shouted in the Assembly and where radicalisation is promoted.

“Nationalist citizens will not accept such a form of statehood. We want a state where there is peace, prosperity and equality. Where any one can live anywhere in any part of the region without fear and terror,” he said.

The LoP further said J-K is witnessing a new phase of peace and normalcy today.

“Today, under the BJP’s government (at the Centre) and with law and order overseen by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), we can say with certainty that peace has returned to Jammu and Kashmir. Terrorism has declined, separatism has ended and stone-pelting has also come to an end,” he said.

Asserting that there are no more protest calendars, hartals or threats, he added, “Today, from common people to tourists, anyone can come and freely travel anywhere across Jammu and Kashmir. There is no protest calendar, no strikes, no stone-pelting, no threats, unlike what used to happen under the National Conference rule when they kept separatists like Masarat Alam politically alive.” Lashing out at the NC, Sharma alleged that the party had a history of turning a blind eye to public suffering and peddling separatism.

“Targeted killings, massacres and separatist propaganda were rampant when the NC was in power. They never hesitated to protect and promote the narrative of separatist elements,” he said.

He also accused the NC government of deliberately stalling the functioning of the J-Kashmir Assembly, saying the three-day deadlock from April 7 to 9 marked an unprecedented episode in the region’s legislative history.

The LoP alleged that the NC-led government had no intention of holding meaningful debates or addressing people’s issues.

“This is the first time in history that the government did not allow the Assembly to function for three consecutive days. It reflects their unwillingness to engage in democratic discussion,” he said.

Sharma said the BJP had intended to participate in a debate on a private member’s bill related to the restoration of statehood but the session was blocked by the ruling party.

“We wanted to highlight the misdeeds of the NC government and discuss the issues that matter to the people,” he said.

“The way the National Conference obstructed the functioning of the House indicates that it did not want any debate or discussion on the issues concerning the people. They did not want to bring those issues or sentiments to light because the government did not want to fulfil people’s expectations and hopes,” he said. PTI AB KSS KSS