BJP Slams Sajad Lone’s Resolution on Article 370 Restoration: Calls It ‘Unconstitutional’
February 17, 2025: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday criticized the resolution submitted by Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone, calling his demand for the restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A “against the Constitution.”
BJP spokesperson Sunil Sethi, while speaking to a news agency, asserted that “decisions taken by the Parliament cannot be reopened in the Assembly.” He further stated that any attempt to challenge the abrogation of Article 370 is a direct violation of constitutional procedures.
The controversy arose after Sajad Lone submitted a resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly secretariat condemning the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A, which granted special autonomy to the region. In his proposal, Lone called for the restoration of J&K’s pre-August 5, 2019 constitutional status—the day when the central government revoked the region’s special status and reorganized it into two Union Territories.
The move by the Peoples Conference has sparked political debate in the Union Territory, with the BJP firmly opposing any reversal of the constitutional changes made by Parliament.
Sajad Lone’s resolution is seen as a bold political step as the J&K Assembly prepares for a crucial session, where the demand for the reinstatement of special status is expected to ignite further discussion.
Meanwhile, political observers suggest that the resolution, while symbolic, faces legal and constitutional hurdles, given the Supreme Court’s recent upholding of the abrogation of Article 370.
The BJP has reiterated its stance that “the chapter of Article 370 is closed forever”, while Sajad Lone and other regional leaders continue to push for the reversal of what they call “an assault on the rights and identity of J&K.”
