Jammu: The Jammu & Kashmir Assembly passed Jammu and Kashmir goods and services tax (Amendment) bill, 2025, amid a walkout by People’s Conference president and MLA Handwara Sajad Gani Lone, who alleged that passing the bill amounts to endorsing the Union Territory status by the house. Lone said that by using the expression “Government of UT of Jammu and Kashmir”, the government was ratifying the UT status.
The bill was passed by voice vote. Introduced by the Chief Minister, the bill aims to align the Union Territory’s GST Act with recent amendments made to the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.
This was the first bill of the budget session by the National Conference-led government, introduced on behalf of the Chief Minister.
Responding to the objections raised also by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed Para to the usage of expression of “Government of UT of Jammu and Kashmir” in the bill aimed at amending J&K GST (Amendment) Act, 2017, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, “Just because we have mentioned ‘Union Territory’ here and not anything else, it does not change anything. Unfortunately, until the Parliament of India restores our statehood, we will remain a Union Territory. So let us not politicise this.”
He said walking out does not help the cause. “We should not engage in politics over ‘WhatsApp university posts’, which some among us have received.”
Abdullah added, “We have to get back statehood to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Inshallah, we will restore it. Removing the word ‘UT’ will not change our reality. We are a UT whether you like it or not. This government governs as a Union Territory.”
CM also said, “All the business conducted by this house so far has been under the name of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. During the passing of the finance bill, I repeatedly mentioned ‘Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir’ regarding consolidated funds. Why didn’t Sajad stage a walkout then? During my grants, I mentioned ‘Union Territory’ as well.”
All members took oath under the Union Territory and contested elections under it, he added.
Abdullah stressed that his government has been vigorously fighting for the restoration of statehood.
“We passed a resolution in the first cabinet meeting. We submitted it to the Prime Minister. I raised it with him during the Sonamarg function. Whenever I go to Delhi, I bring it up, that the people of J&K do not like the Union Territory status and want the restoration of statehood,” he said.
The first bill of the Budget session by the National Conference-led government was introduced by Surinder Kumar Choudhary on Saturday on behalf of Abdullah, who also oversees the finance ministry.
During the discussion, Lone took exception to the use of the words ‘Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir’ and said it signifies the endorsement of Jammu and Kashmir’s status by the house. “I will not be a partner in this,” he said as he walked out.
Passage of GST Bill tantamount to endorsement of UT status: Lone
Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Handwara and Peoples Conference president, Sajad Gani Lone today said that the passage of GST Amendment Bill was tantamount to endorsement of the UT status of J&K.
Following his walk-out from the Assembly earlier, Lone posted on X: “I walked out of the Assembly today when the government introduced a bill to amend Section 2 of the “Goods and services Act”. The purpose of the bill was to insert the word J and K UT instead of J and K state.
“I want to make it clear that the passage of the bill is tantamount to endorsement of the UT status of J and K. I tried to protest but given the massive mandate that the people of J and K have given to NC, my voice was drowned out. And I walked out.
“Did they ask the assembly when Article 370 was abrogated? When Article 35A was abrogated. When state of J & K was relegated to a UT.
“Why are they asking the assembly now to passively endorse what will eventually be interpreted by history as an active endorsement of the act of relegating J & K to a UT.”
He said that the whole Pre election narrative was around undoing the catastrophic events of 5 August 2019. The idea was that the assembly will unambiguously pass resolutions rejecting all the actions of 5 August.
“The reality as it stares in our faces is that till date we have not passed anything which is clear, concise and unambiguous. The power of the assembly to make laws or undo events of 5 August 2019 is not what matters. What is far more important is what is the voice of the people that emanates from the Assembly. We have not been barred form voicing our opinion. And the voices that are emanating do not do justice with the sentiments of the people of J and K,” he wrote on X.
