Omar writes to all political parties for J&K’s statehood, calls it ‘essential course correction’ | India News

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has written to all national parties, including BJP, asking for restoration of statehood to J&K. The CM said in his letter that a bill should be brought in the current session of Parliament for restoration of statehood.“The restoration must not be viewed as a concession but as an essential course correction, one that prevents us from sliding down a dangerous and slippery slope where the statehood of our constituent states is no longer regarded as a foundational and sacred constitutional right but reduced instead to a discretionary favour bestowed at the will of the central govt,” Omar wrote in his letter.On Aug 5, 2019 the Centre had nullified the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution and reorganised J&K state into two Union Territories — J&K UT and Ladakh UT. The Supreme Court had on Dec 11, 2023 upheld govt’s decision nullifying Article 370 but had observed that J&K’s statehood should be restored as soon as possible.National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah supported Omar’s letter, saying Congress has convened a meeting of all opposition leaders in New Delhi on Thursday and that he would discuss the issue there.The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) welcomed Omar’s letter “for a collective push toward restoring statehood to J&K”. However, PDP said it was concerned about the “selective focus on statehood”. “The party wholeheartedly supports the call for statehood and stands ready to back any meaningful initiative that fulfils promises made to the people in Parliament, public forums, and before the Supreme Court, but it is disheartening to see that NC, under CM Omar Abdullah’s leadership, has not demonstrated equal urgency or clarity on the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status,” PDP said.Dr Abdullah dismissed PDP’s concerns and said it was PDP that had brought BJP to J&K by allying with it in 2015.Omar argued in his letter that federalism is anchored in the recognition of a state’s right to exist and function with dignity, autonomy, and constitutional protection. “If the Union were to assume and exercise the unilateral authority to downgrade a state to a UT, regardless of the justification it would mark a fundamental departure from the constitutional scheme. The circumstances may vary, but the precedent it sets is profound and unsettling. This is a constitutional red line, one that must never be crossed,” the letter said.“It (statehood to J&K) is an issue that goes beyond regional interests and touches the very core of India’s constitutional values and democratic ethos. The act of reducing J&K from a state to a Union Territory in 2019 and the prolonged delay in restoring its status as a full state, you would agree, has profound implications for the future of Indian polity.”On July 16, senior Congress politicians Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi had written a joint letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi pressing for restoration of J&K’s statehood and had urged govt to introduce legislation in the current Monsoon Session of Parliament to restore statehood to J&K and grant constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule to the UT of Ladakh.