J&K Cabinet passes statehood restoration resolution in first meet, CM Abdullah to submit to PM Modi in Delhi

In its first cabinet meeting, Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir government passed a resolution urging the Centre to restore statehood of the Union Territory on Friday. He is also expected to travel to Delhi and hand over the draft of the resolution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Jammu and Kashmir government held its first cabinet meeting yesterday after Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the CM on October 16.

Following the dilution of Article 370 in 2019, Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood was terminated. On October 17, 2024, the Supreme Court listed a plea seeking the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

‘Statehood has to be time bound…’

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for applicants, had urged a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra that the plea needed an urgent hearing.

“There is an MA in the Article 370 matter, the implementation for conferring statehood…it has to be time-bound,” Sankaranarayanan said, to which the CJI DY Chandrachud agrees, legal news agency Live Law reported.

Earlier, on December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court had unanimously upheld the revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, the apex court had also directed for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections to be held by September 2024, highlighting that Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood be restored at the ‘earliest.’

Elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly were held in three phases, from September 18 to October 1, resulting in the formation of a government by the National Conference-Congress alliance.

‘First task to demand statehood…’

Before taking the oath, Omar Abdullah had said that the first task of his government would be to become the voice of the people. Earlier, Congress leader P. Chidambaram had also expressed that ‘first task of the new government should be to demand the restoration of statehood to J-K’, and all the I.N.D.I.A parties should support it.

NC President, Farooq Abdullah expressed optimism that the Centre would soon restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Farooq Abdullah was ‘sure’ that the ‘Government of India would soon restore J&K’s statehood’, stated an NDTV report.