Sajad Lone questions Opposition's silence on Article 370 during meeting with Sonia Gandhi

While asking the Opposition parties in the country to make their stance on Article 370 clear, Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone on Saturday slammed J&K leaders for maintaining silence during a meeting of Opposition leaders.

In a grand show of strength, the top leaders of at least 14 Opposition parties held a virtual meet on Friday evening. The meeting had been called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

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“No mention of Article 370 in Opposition parties meet. In wonderment how can J and K leaders justify their presence in the meeting if they could not convince the leaders to talk about 370. BJP anti 370’stance is clear. What is the national opposition stance (sic),” separatist-turned-mainstream leader, Lone questioned in a tweet.

In another Tweet he asked: “And y r leaders from j and k becoming a part of a process which endorses “don’t talk about 370” discourse. Wow so u become a part of a national opposition which abandons 370 and u irk and irritate a ruling party, not known for tolerance and hence put even statehood at risk. (sic)”

Lone, who was a Cabinet minister in the erstwhile PDP-BJP alliance from 2015 to 2018, also said that the silence maintained by the national Opposition parties over Article 370 suggest they won’t work for its restoration.

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“Article 370 can b restored either in Parliament or by the courts. Courts we have to wait. It is a long process. In Parliament we know BJP won’t restore it. The quietude of Opposition parties suggest they won’t either. Then who will? (sic)” Lone, who is known for changing loyalties, asked.

In another tweet he said: “For heavens sake. Let us at least resolve that if we can’t facilitate we will not impede either. Leaders from j and k should either get the national Opposition endorse demand for 370 so that at the national level there is some hope at a future date or just keep out of it. (sic)”