Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday presented a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, urging the Government of India to immediately reinstate the region’s full statehood. The move ignited vociferous opposition from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators during the ongoing Autumn Session, leading to disruptions and a temporary adjournment of the proceedings.
The resolution, as stated by a government spokesman, aims to reinforce previous Assembly resolutions passed on June 26, 2000, and November 6, 2024. The text of the resolution explicitly calls upon the Government of India for the “immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir” and mandates that this resolution be forwarded to the central government. Information reaching Tahir Rihat suggests that the Chief Minister appealed to all members of the Assembly, irrespective of party affiliation, to lend their unanimous support to the resolution, emphasizing that statehood is a matter of collective concern for all residents of Jammu and Kashmir, transcending partisan politics.
Abdullah articulated his plea by stating, “I would like to request the House to pass this resolution because, without statehood, Jammu and Kashmir has suffered immensely. A promise was made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.” He further referenced the sequence of events outlined by the central government concerning delimitation, elections, and the subsequent restoration of statehood. According to Abdullah, the initial two stages of this process have been completed, with a significant turnout of people participating in the democratic exercises. He conveyed a message to the Government of India through the Assembly, stating, “Through this House, we want to remind the Government of India that something should be done about its promises.” The Chief Minister underscored the importance of consensus, asserting that statehood is an issue that belongs to the entire region and not to any specific political faction. “Statehood is neither of this side nor that side. It belongs to the whole of Jammu and Kashmir,” he affirmed.
Further elaborating on the implications of the current administrative status, Abdullah pointed to the diminished decision-making authority of the elected government in institutions such as the Power Development Corporation and the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS). He clarified that the newly introduced resolution was meticulously crafted to complement, rather than supersede, prior resolutions adopted by the Assembly. The introduction of the resolution by the Chief Minister was met with strong protests from BJP legislators, who reportedly tore copies of the document and chanted slogans within the House. This led to a brief adjournment initiated by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather. Subsequently, BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa was escorted out of the Assembly by marshals during the ongoing proceedings.
Sunil Sharma, the Leader of the Opposition, accused the National Conference of attempting to reintroduce the 2000 autonomy resolution through the current demand for statehood. Sharma stated, “Omar Abdullah has once again tried to smuggle the 2000 autonomy resolution and the 2024 resolution back in, this time dressed up as a statehood restoration resolution. This is completely unacceptable.” He recalled that the autonomy resolution adopted by the Assembly in 2000 was previously rejected by the then-National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Sharma also alleged that the ruling party was manufacturing controversy to distract from governance challenges and called for clarity from the Congress party on its stance regarding the issue. The 2000 resolution, when the National Conference was led by Farooq Abdullah, sought the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s pre-1953 constitutional status, a demand that was not accepted by the central government. In November 2024, the Assembly passed another resolution advocating for dialogue on the restoration of special status and constitutional guarantees for the Union Territory.
The ruling National Conference received support for its statehood resolution from other regional parties present in the Assembly. Waheed Para, a legislator from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), expressed his party’s support for the resolution but suggested that it should have been more comprehensive. “We support it, but the government should clearly mention Article 370. Article 35A should also be restored in its original form,” Para commented. Sajad Lone, president of the JK Peoples Conference and MLA from Handwara, criticized the BJP for what he described as unnecessary disruption within the House. “The BJP is making noise because it has no substantive argument against the resolution,” Lone remarked. Referencing the historical accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India, he added, “Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India because of the events of 1947. Promises were made to us in 1947. Because of those promises, we are here.” Lone asserted that the restoration of statehood is not a matter of discretionary favor but a commitment that the government must fulfill.
Tahir Rihat (also known as Tahir Bilal) is an independent journalist, activist, and digital media professional from the Chenab Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. He is best known for his work as the Online Editor at The Chenab Times.
Leave a Reply