SRINAGAR: The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), led by incarcerated Member of Parliament from Baramulla, Engineer Rashid, has accused the ruling National Conference (NC) of “another betrayal” after, according to the former, “staunch advocates of Article 370 and 35A” were excluded from the Assembly Rules Committee.
According to Srinagar-based news gathering agency Kashmir Dot Com, in a statement posted on Facebook, AIP spokesperson Inam Un Nabi accused the NC of aligning with the BJP, sidelining regional voices, and abandoning its electoral promises, particularly on Article 370 and 35A.
“Excluding staunch advocates of Article 370 & 35A from the Assembly Rules Committee is yet another betrayal by the @JKNC_. Their cozying up to @Jammukashmirbjp, sidelining regional voices, and abandoning electoral promises expose their hypocrisy. AIP will continue to stand with the people and their aspirations,” the post read.
This criticism comes after the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Advocate Abdul Rahim Rather, constituted an eight-member Rules Committee to finalize the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business. Notably, the committee, chaired by the Speaker as an ex-officio member, includes MLAs Mubarik Gul, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, Saifullah Mir, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, Pawan Kumar Gupta, Hasnain Masoodi, Ranbir Singh Pathania, and Muzaffar Iqbal Khan.
The AIP has pointed out the exclusion of “key voices advocating for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A”, framing it as a deliberate move to marginalize regional aspirations.
The Rules Committee is expected to finalize the draft rules before the upcoming Budget session, but its composition has already sparked political controversy and criticism from various quarters. (KDC)
