Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], September 25 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday moved a resolution in the Legislative Assembly calling upon the Government of India for the “immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood” to Jammu and Kashmir, with the House witnessing uproar over the move.
The resolution, moved by Omar, referred to resolutions passed by the Assembly on June 26, 2000 and November 6, 2024, and called for the fresh resolution to be forwarded to the Government of India.
JKNC leader Tanvir Sadiq described the development as a “historic day” for Jammu and Kashmir.
In a post on X, Sadiq said, “Today, history is made in the J&K Assembly. The Statehood Resolution, with a clear reference to 26 June 2000 and the 2024 Resolution, is a powerful reminder that the National Conference has never forgotten its agenda, and will never compromise on its principles.”
“The struggle for dignity, identity and statehood continues. A historic day for Jammu & Kashmir,” he added.
Speaking in the House, Omar urged members to debate and pass the resolution, saying that the absence of statehood had proved “very detrimental” for Jammu and Kashmir.
“I would like the House to debate on this resolution and pass this resolution because not getting statehood has proven to be very detrimental for Jammu and Kashmir,” Omar said.
He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had been promised a three-step process — delimitation, elections and then restoration of statehood.
“People of Jammu and Kashmir were promised. A promise was made. Inside the Parliament, promises inside the Supreme Court, promises in various public forums. That a three-step process will be implemented. First delimitation, then elections, and then statehood,” he said.
Omar said delimitation and elections had taken place and people had participated in the elections, expecting the third step to follow.
“We kept waiting. Publicly, privately, in every meeting and every forum, we reminded the Government of India that you made a promise to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, but that promise isn’t being fulfilled. Today, through this House, we want to remind the Government of India that your promises should finally mean something,” he said.
The Chief Minister also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s earlier remarks on the restoration of statehood, saying, “When the Prime Minister was giving his speech, he said that this is not just an ordinary promise; it’s PM Modi’s promise. Meaning, ordinary promises are one thing, but this is something beyond that—if it really is beyond that. Then why isn’t it being fulfilled?”
Omar said the issue of statehood should be discussed inside the House rather than outside and called for unanimity among members.
“Statehood is neither about this side nor that side. It’s not just about this House. If there is statehood, it’s for the entire Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Explaining the impact of the absence of statehood, Omar cited the functioning of the Power Development Corporation and said the elected government no longer had control over it.
“If on one hand it is said that the elected government in the Union Territory is not responsible for security, law and order, or IAS and IPS officers, but for other things it is responsible for the elected government, then why not the Power Development Corporation?” he asked.
Omar also cited the functioning of health infrastructure and said files relating to schemes did not come to the elected government.
“There are many such examples which I will present before the House at the end of this discussion,” he said.
Clarifying the wording of the resolution, Omar said it did not replace or subsume the earlier resolutions.
“This resolution is in addition to those resolutions, and this resolution simply calls upon the Government of India to fulfill its promise and immediately make Jammu and Kashmir a full state,” he said.
He also rejected the possibility of a partial restoration of statehood.
“This thing that we hear from time to time, that we will get a half state, we will get a quarter state, we will get a state without law and order—we do not want such a state. We were promised a full state, and we want the full state back,” Omar said.
He urged the Speaker to schedule a detailed discussion on the resolution during the ongoing session and said he was not in a hurry to take it up for voting.
After the session, Omar told the media that “Two years is a very long time to make us wait”, adding that the voice of the elected legislature represents the entire political spectrum of Jammu and Kashmir. Clearly the voice of the cabinet was not considered to be the voice of the people. The legislature represents the entire spectrum of political opinion in Jammu and Kashmir. The cabinet only represents the ruling party.”
Omar stressed that statehood should not be viewed as an issue concerning only the government or a political family.
“Statehood is not about the government. Statehood is not about my family. Statehood is not about a political party or an individual. Statehood is about the entire Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
“That is why we brought this resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly so that from here, with one voice, we wanted to tell the central government with one voice that you should restore the status of the princely state in Jammu and Kashmir again,” Omar added.
Explaining the reason for bringing the resolution before the full House, Omar said restoration of statehood was a promise made by the Union government and reiterated in Parliament and the Supreme Court.
Omar said it had been nearly two years since the conclusion of the Assembly elections and claimed Jammu and Kashmir was still as far from statehood as it was two years ago.
“I had hoped that a resolution passed by the cabinet as soon as we came to office and personally handed over by me to the honorable Prime Minister would be enough and that the process would start immediately after that. It didn’t happen,” Omar added.
Omar also said he hoped the BJP would participate in the discussion and vote on the resolution so that its position on statehood would be known.
“I’m still hopeful that when the discussion starts, the BJP will participate in the discussion and they will vote so that we know on this issue of statehood where they stand,” he said.
Responding to questions over the reference to the 2000 and 2024 resolutions, Omar said the current resolution was specifically about statehood and did not replace the earlier resolutions.
“This resolution is about statehood,” he said.
He said the 2000 and 2024 resolutions remained part of the Assembly’s record and claimed the BJP, which was in government in Jammu and Kashmir from 2016 to 2018, had not brought a resolution to nullify the 2000 resolution.
“Those resolutions are already alive. There is no dilution of those resolutions. The entire effort has been to ensure that this statehood resolution stands on its own. It does not replace or subsume any other resolution. We only want a vote today from the BJP on statehood,” Omar said.
He further said, “We just want a vote on statehood. There should be a discussion, there should be a vote, so that we know where the BJP stands.”
Omar also rejected the suggestion that the resolution was seeking a vote on autonomy.
On allegations raised in the Assembly that the National Conference was “anti-national”, Omar said the party did not require a certificate from the BJP.
“We have made so many sacrifices for this country; we don’t need a BJP certificate. So we don’t need their certificates, nor are we afraid of their slogans,” he said.
On opposition to discussing or voting on the resolution, Omar said the people of Jammu and Kashmir would take note of the positions taken by political parties.
“If they don’t want to discuss, if they don’t want to vote, then the people of Jammu and Kashmir will know who is the true enemy of the people of Jammu and Kashmir because this statehood is not for you and me,” he said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly witnessed a ruckus on Friday as Congress MLAs raised banners reading “Protect Democracy”, while ruling party MLAs raised slogans demanding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Amid the uproar, the House was adjourned for 30 minutes.
Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh following the Centre’s August 2019 decision to abrogate Article 370.
The J&K Assembly’s autumn session is scheduled from September 21 to September 30, with legislators raising issues including employment, reservation, regularisation of workers, power tariffs and other public concerns. The official Assembly portal lists the session as comprising seven sittings. (ANI)
Related reading
