Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday approved a resolution passed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's cabinet, urging the Centre to restore statehood to the Union Territory.
"The cabinet, chaired by Omar Abdullah on Thursday, unanimously passed a resolution for the restoration of statehood in its original form," an official spokesperson said. Without providing further details, officials affirmed that the LG has cleared the resolution. The spokesperson added that restoring statehood would mark the beginning of a healing process, reclaim constitutional rights, and protect the identity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The cabinet has authorised the Chief Minister to take up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India, the spokesperson noted.
"Protecting Jammu and Kashmir’s unique identity and constitutional rights remains the cornerstone of the newly-elected government’s policy," he said.
About J&K CM's Visit To New Delhi
The Chief Minister is expected to visit New Delhi in the coming days to meet the Prime Minister and Union Ministers regarding this matter. Additionally, the cabinet has decided to convene the Legislative Assembly in Srinagar on 4 November and has advised the LG to summon and address the assembly, the spokesperson added.
The draft of the LG’s address for the Legislative Assembly's first session was also presented to the Council of Ministers for further discussion and consideration, he said. Political parties criticised the resolution for focusing solely on statehood rather than Article 370, calling it an "utter surrender" and a shift from the National Conference's earlier stance.
The PDP, People's Conference (PC), and Awami Ittehad Party denounced the move, reminding the NC of its election promise to "strive to restore Articles 370 and 35A, as well as statehood, to the pre-August 5, 2019 status," viewing this as a departure from its preelection position.
