SRINAGAR: A day after the Jammu & Kashmir assembly passed a resolution seeking restoration of statehood with a reference to autonomy, leader of opposition Sunil Sharma said the move would strain Centre-J&K relations and urged chief secretary Atal Dulloo not to forward the resolution to the Union govt. The BJP member also demanded speaker Abdul Rahim Rather’s resignation and claimed that Union home minister Amit Shah was unhappy about the resolution.“Already the chief secretary and the law secretary gave their opinion to the assembly that they cannot discuss the resolution as the issue is sub judice. Their communication to the assembly secretariat ahead of the resolution is an indication that the resolution is anti-Constitution. We expect the chief secretary not to forward the resolution to the Centre and throw it away,” Sharma told TOI.Sources said the assembly secretariat had sent the resolution to the chief secretary to be forwarded to the Centre.NC legislator Justice (retired) Hasnain Masoodi said the assembly secretariat should have directly sent it to the central govt instead of routing it through the chief secretary, as he had objected to the resolution.The assembly Monday adopted the resolution that seeks restoration of statehood amid protests and a walkout by BJP legislators, who accused NC and Congress of being anti-national over the reference to the autonomy resolution passed in the House in 2000.The chief secretary and the law secretary are facing criticism from the National Conference and other parties for writing to the assembly secretariat earlier, advising against taking up the resolution.Speaking in the House on Monday, CM Omar Abdullah, who moved the resolution, said he was also the law minister and was not even aware “that my law secretary is sending you opinions”.Sharma defended the two bureaucrats, saying they had expressed the “right opinion” as the resolution, he claimed, was “anti-constitutional” and “anti-national”.
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He said the speaker not only allowed the resolution to be introduced but also permitted amendments referring to autonomy and condemning the abrogation of Article 370, which was upheld by the Supreme Court. “The speaker has to step down,” he added. BJP has already moved a motion in the assembly against Rather.Sharma said the Centre was unhappy over the resolution as it would encourage separatism in J&K. “I met the (Union) home minister (Amit Shah) on Sunday. He expressed displeasure over the resolution,” Sharma said.According to Sharma, Shah told him during the meeting in New Delhi that statehood would be restored to J&K at an “appropriate time”, but anything that could disturb the peaceful situation would not be allowed.
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