Srinagar: Political parties on Wednesday welcomed the Congress initiative, asking the prime minister to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, as Chief minister Omar Abdullah said “we are not demanding something that was not promised to us”.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at Jammu, Abdullah said the Supreme Court’s directive to the Centre to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood “as soon as possible” came long ago.
The chief minister was reacting to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi jointly writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the BJP-led Centre to bring a legislation in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament to grant full statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“This is a very good thing. We were waiting for this day when the opposition would raise our voice in Parliament and Delhi. I am thankful to Kharge and Rahul that they have raised the statehood issue with the Centre,” Abdullah said, when asked about the Congress leaders’ letter to Modi.
“We are not demanding something which was not promised to us. We were repeatedly promised within and outside Parliament, in the Supreme Court and at public functions that statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir at an appropriate time.
“You might remember that when the Supreme Court passed its order (on Article 370 of the Constitution), it called for the restoration of statehood as soon as possible. We are saying that ‘as soon as possible’ has gone long back and now, Jammu and Kashmir should get back statehood ‘as early as possible’,” he added.
Asked about the reported plan of the Congress to ‘gherao’ Parliament on the opening day of the Monsoon session, the National Conference (NC) leader said, “We have had no talks with them. We will talk to them and see what we have to do.”
The ruling NC in Jammu and Kashmir expressed gratitude to the Congress leaders for taking the initiative.
“We welcome this and thank the Congress leadership for taking the initiative,” NC’s Jammu and Kashmir spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said in Srinagar.
He said there is no reason to delay the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory further.
“We are hopeful that the government will bring the bill (for the restoration of statehood) in the forthcoming Monsoon session,” Dar said.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson Mohit Bhan said statehood is the right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and there has already been a delay in restoring it.
“As far as statehood is concerned, that should be given to Jammu and Kashmir. The prime minister and the home minister have promised it and I think much time has already passed and Jammu and Kashmir should get its statehood back,” he said.
Bhan, however, asserted that the “real fight” is for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, which were revoked by the Centre on August 5, 2019 and the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into Union territories.
“The real fight is the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, for which it is really important to raise voice in Parliament and in all the institutions of the country,” he said.
The PDP spokesperson pointed out that Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India under certain conditions, including Articles 370 and 35A, which were negotiated by the Congress, and added that the same party now hesitates to talk about those.
“What pains us is that the same Congress party’s leader, Rahul Gandhi, hesitates to talk about Articles 370 and 35A. I think it is the role of the opposition and especially the Congress party to raise its voice over Articles 370 and 35A,” he said.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Karra expressed gratitude to the party leadership for its letter to Modi.
“I express gratitude to Hon’ble LoP Shri @RahulGandhi ji and AICC President Shri @kharge ji for their letter to PM Shri Narendra Modi, urging the restoration of full statehood for J&K and inclusion of Ladakh under the 6th Schedule,” Karra said in a post on X.
He said the party demands immediate action in the Monsoon session of Parliament to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
“@INCIndia stands firm for J&K’s rights,” Karra added.
