Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today moved a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly calling upon the Government of India for the immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The resolution, moved during the ongoing Autumn Session of the Assembly, seeks to build upon the resolutions passed by the House on June 26, 2000 and November 6, 2024.
“In addition to the Resolutions passed by this House on 26th June 2000 and 6th November 2024, this House calls upon the Government of India for the immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and resolves that this Resolution be forwarded to Government of India,” the resolution states.
Moving the resolution, the Chief Minister urged members across the political spectrum to support it unanimously, emphasising that statehood was not an issue belonging to one side of the House or another, but an issue concerning the entire people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“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,” the Chief Minister said.
Referring to the sequence of delimitation, elections and restoration of statehood, he said the first two steps had been completed and the people of Jammu and Kashmir had participated in the electoral process willingly.
“There was an election. People took part in the election. And they took part willingly,” he said, adding that people had hoped that the third step of restoration of statehood would follow the elections.
The Chief Minister said the Government of India had been reminded publicly, privately and at various forums that the commitment to restore statehood remained to be fulfilled.
“Today, through this House, we want to remind the Government of India that something should be done about your promises,” he said.
Referring to the commitment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister said, “When the Prime Minister was giving his speech, he said that this is not an ordinary promise. This is the promise of Modi.”
Omar Abdullah also emphasised the need for unanimity on the issue, saying that statehood should not be viewed as belonging to either the Treasury or Opposition benches.
“Statehood is neither of this side nor that side. It is not only of this House. If there is statehood, then it is of the whole of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Explaining the practical implications of the present constitutional and administrative arrangement, the Chief Minister cited the functioning of the Power Development Corporation and SKIMS as examples of areas where, according to him, the elected government does not exercise the same decision-making authority it would have under full statehood.
Referring to a discussion in the House on a hydroelectric project, he said that as Chief Minister and Power Minister, he did not have the Power Development Corporation under his control, despite the elected government being responsible for development-related matters.
He also referred to SKIMS, stating that while the elected government provides budgetary support, decisions relating to the premier health institution are not entirely within the purview of the elected government.
“There are many other instances like these, which I will present at the end of this discussion in front of the House,” he said.
The Chief Minister clarified that the resolution had been carefully worded so that it would not replace or undermine earlier resolutions passed by the Assembly.
“This resolution neither replaces them, nor substitutes them, nor ignores them. This resolution is in addition to those resolutions,” he said.
He further underlined that the earlier resolutions continued to stand as resolutions of the House and that the present resolution sought to add to them by reiterating the demand for restoration of full statehood.
The Chief Minister also rejected the possibility of a partial restoration of statehood.
“What we hear in the media that we will get a half state, we will get a quarter state, we will get a state without law and order. No, we do not want such a state. We have been promised a full state and we want a full state back,” he said.
The Chief Minister concluded by urging the members to participate in the discussion on the resolution and support the call for restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.