BJP slams J&K Dy CM Surinder Choudhary over Article 370 restoration remarks
Synopsis
J&K Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary's public vow to restore Article 370 has drawn an immediate and fierce BJP counter-attack, with the opposition accusing him of dishonoring soldiers who died fighting terrorism and separatism. The exchange lays bare the deep ideological chasm at the heart of J&K's coalition-era politics — and signals that Article 370 will dominate the run-up to 2029.
Key Takeaways
J&K Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary publicly declared on 27 August that Article 370, statehood, and special status would be restored.
BJP MLA Sunil Sharma , Leader of Opposition, called the remark 'serious' and alleged it was meant to demonstrate loyalty to National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah amid a reported Cabinet reshuffle.
Sharma accused Choudhary of 'shaming' soldiers martyred in the Valley, framing Article 370 as 'the seed of terrorism and separatism.' BJP MP Sat Sharma stated categorically that Article 370 'will not come back' and called on the National Conference to 'accept this and move on.' The row deepens political tensions in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the 2029 general elections , which Choudhary himself invoked as a referendum on BJP's promises.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, 27 August launched a sharp attack on Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary over his public assertion that Article 370 would be restored in the Union Territory, accusing him of dishonoring soldiers who laid down their lives in the Valley. The remarks have ignited a fresh political flashpoint in Jammu, deepening the fault lines between the ruling National Conference and the BJP-led opposition.
What the Deputy CM Said
Addressing reporters, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary — a senior National Conference leader — declared: 'We will get statehood, we will get Article 370, and we will get special status.' He further argued that the BJP bore equal, if not greater, responsibility for restoring special status, citing parliamentary assurances that jobs and land in Jammu and Kashmir would not be opened to outsiders. 'In 2029, the people will definitely answer the BJP,' Choudhary said, adding that even residents of Jammu were 'fed up' with the ruling party's statements.
BJP's Counter-Attack
Sunil Sharma, Leader of Opposition in the J&K Assembly and BJP MLA, called the statement 'serious,' alleging it was driven by factional loyalty rather than genuine policy conviction. 'I think the Deputy CM's statement today about restoring Article 370 is an attempt to show his loyalty to his master and party chief (Farooq Abdullah),' Sharma said. He also suggested the timing was linked to reported Cabinet reshuffle deliberations over corruption and performance concerns within the coalition government.
Sharma went further, framing the Article 370 debate in terms of national sacrifice: 'Article 370 has been considered the seed of terrorism and separatism, the reasons for which many of the country's soldiers have laid down their lives. Today all of them, along with the voters, have been made to feel ashamed due to the Deputy CM's statement.' He directly challenged the National Conference, asking: 'Do you want more incidents of terrorism and separatism to take birth here?'
BJP MP Joins the Offensive
BJP MP Sat Sharma widened the attack, targeting the National Conference's historical role in the abrogated provision. 'Their mentality has always been to divide this country. This is the same political party that imposed Article 370 on us,' he said, referencing the earlier alignment between the UPA government at the Centre and the National Conference in J&K. He was categorical that the provision would not return: 'Today, it has been removed and it will not come back. They have to accept this and move on.'
Political Context and What's Next
The controversy erupts against a backdrop of ongoing tension over J&K's governance since the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories. The National Conference, which campaigned on restoring statehood and special status, returned to power in the October 2024 assembly elections. However, the BJP has consistently maintained that abrogation is irreversible. With the 2029 general elections already being invoked as a political reference point, this exchange signals that Article 370 will remain a central battleground in J&K politics for years ahead.
Point of View
But so is the BJP's outrage. The National Conference ran and won on a platform that included restoring Article 370 — so this is less a gaffe than a coalition government doing exactly what it promised. The BJP's invocation of martyred soldiers is a familiar rhetorical move that conflates a constitutional provision with terrorism, bypassing the legitimate democratic debate around statehood restoration. What the mainstream coverage misses is the internal dimension: if a Cabinet reshuffle is indeed imminent, Choudhary's public loyalty signal to Farooq Abdullah tells us more about J&K's coalition arithmetic than about any genuine policy shift. The real question is whether the Centre will ever engage seriously with the statehood promise it made before the 2024 elections — a promise that remains conspicuously unfulfilled.
NationPress
27 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did J&K Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary say about Article 370?
Surinder Choudhary, J&K's Deputy Chief Minister and a National Conference leader, publicly stated on 27 August that Jammu and Kashmir would regain Article 370, statehood, and special status. He also argued that the BJP bore responsibility for restoring these provisions given parliamentary assurances made at the time of abrogation.
How did the BJP respond to Choudhary's Article 370 remarks?
The BJP responded sharply, with Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma calling the statement 'serious' and accusing Choudhary of shaming soldiers martyred in the Valley. BJP MP Sat Sharma added that Article 370 'will not come back' and called on the National Conference to accept its abrogation.
Why did BJP's Sunil Sharma question the timing of Choudhary's statement?
Sharma alleged that Choudhary's remarks were timed to demonstrate loyalty to National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah amid reports of an impending Cabinet reshuffle over corruption and performance concerns, rather than reflecting a genuine policy position.
What is the current status of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir?
Article 370, which granted Jammu and Kashmir special autonomous status, was abrogated by the Centre in August 2019. The state was simultaneously bifurcated into two Union Territories — Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The National Conference, which won the October 2024 assembly elections, has campaigned for its restoration, but the BJP maintains the abrogation is constitutionally irreversible.
What is the political significance of this controversy ahead of 2029?
Choudhary explicitly invoked the 2029 general elections as a moment when voters would 'answer the BJP' over unfulfilled promises on jobs and land rights. The exchange signals that Article 370 and J&K statehood will remain central electoral issues, with both sides using the issue to consolidate their respective bases.
