SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday passed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s resolution seeking the immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, amid protests and a walkout by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators.
The resolution calls upon the Government of India to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and provides that it be forwarded to the Union Government.
It also states that the demand is in addition to resolutions passed by the House on June 26, 2000, and November 6, 2024. The reference to the 2000 resolution, which sought greater autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir, became a major point of contention during the debate.
BJP legislators protested against the resolution, objecting to references to the earlier autonomy resolution and the constitutional position that existed before August 5, 2019. The party has maintained that it supports restoration of statehood but opposes linking the demand with autonomy and Article 370.
As the debate continued, BJP members raised slogans and entered the Well of the House. They later walked out as the resolution was put to a vote.
During the debate, Omar questioned the delay in restoring statehood and challenged the argument that Jammu and Kashmir should wait for an end to violence before the status was restored.
He said that if restoration of statehood was conditional on the “guns falling silent”, the decision would effectively depend on Islamabad rather than New Delhi.
Omar also criticised what he described as changes to the political and territorial legacy associated with Maharaja Hari Singh. Referring to the erstwhile state, he alleged that the BJP had damaged that legacy by dividing Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.
The Chief Minister’s remarks came during discussion on the statehood resolution, which he had originally moved on September 25. The resolution was subsequently taken up for debate after several legislators sought to speak on its contents.
Several legislators had proposed amendments seeking references to restoration of autonomy, special status and Articles 370 and 35A. During the debate, however, Omar urged members not to press those amendments, arguing that the House had already passed separate resolutions on special status and that retaining the present resolution’s focus on full statehood would avoid providing the BJP grounds to oppose it.
The Speaker subsequently put the resolution to a vote after the amendments were not pressed, and it was passed amid continuing BJP protests.
The BJP’s objections centred primarily on the inclusion of the June 26, 2000 resolution, which was passed during the government headed by Farooq Abdullah and sought restoration of greater autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir. The November 6, 2024 resolution had sought dialogue for restoration of special status and constitutional guarantees.
The passage of Monday’s resolution formally places the elected Assembly’s demand for restoration of full statehood before the Union Government.
The House was adjourned after the day’s listed business was completed and is scheduled to meet again on Tuesday.
