Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], August 14 : Following the Supreme Court's observation on pleas seeking restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, J-K BJP President Sat Sharma affirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured several times that statehood will be granted at the "right time" and when circumstances will improve.
Speaking to ANI, the BJP leader also targeted the NC-led government here, alleging that "no work" has been done by them.
"The Prime Minister has stated from time to time that we will get statehood when the right circumstances and time arrive. In the span of 9 months, no work has been done by them (Jammu and Kashmir government). Whatever decision the Supreme Court takes, we will accept. When the right circumstances arise, we will get our rights, and there is no doubt about it," Sharma said.
BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa echoed similar sentiments, stating, "To what extent do these people who are knocking on the doors of the court think they are strengthening the democratic setup... PM Modi has assured that J-K will be given the status of statehood at an appropriate time. CM Omar Abdullah himself said that there is no difference between PM Modi's words and actions. When he and his father were the Chief Ministers, they did not erect any mountains. Instead, they created a rift between Jammu and Kashmir, and paved the way for destruction."
The Supreme Court, while hearing pleas seeking direction to restore the statehood of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday observed that in granting statehood, the ground situation has to be taken into consideration.
"You cannot ignore what happened in Pahalgam," said a bench of CJI BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said the government had assured statehood after elections, but there is a peculiar situation there.
He said the assembly elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir as promised to the Constitution bench that had upheld the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.
"This is not the time for petitioners to muddy the waters," he further said.
Mehta sought eight weeks to take instruction from the government on the issue.
The top court was hearing applications seeking directions to the Centre to restore the statehood of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The applications had said that it becomes necessary that appropriate directions are passed directing the status of statehood of Jammu and Kashmir to be restored at the earliest in a time-bound manner, as had been undertaken by the Union of India.
Filed by college teacher Zahoor Ahmed Bhat and activist Khurshaid Ahmad Malik, the applications stated that despite the assurance given by the Solicitor General that Jammu and Kashmir's statehood will be restored, the Union has not taken any steps in that regard in the years after the judgment in the Article 370 case.
The application was filed through advocate Soyaib Qureshi in the disposed of case of abrogation of Article 370 which the Supreme Court upheld the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.