In a significant move on Saturday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha approved a resolution passed by the cabinet led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, calling for the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The region has been under Union Territory status since the revocation of its special status on August 5, 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated by the central government.

The resolution was unanimously passed during a cabinet meeting on Thursday, with officials stating that restoring statehood would initiate a healing process, reclaiming constitutional rights and safeguarding the identity of the local populace.

“The cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Omar Abdullah on Thursday passed a unanimous resolution for restoration of statehood in its original form,” an official spokesperson told the news agency PTI.

The cabinet has also decided to summon the Legislative Assembly in Srinagar on November 4, advising the LG to address the assembly on this occasion.

However, the approval has sparked controversy, with various political parties criticizing the resolution’s focus solely on statehood and not on the restoration of Article 370. Leaders from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), People’s Conference (PC), and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) have labeled the move as an “utter surrender” and a deviation from the ruling National Conference’s pre-election promises to restore Articles 370 and 35A, alongside statehood.

“This resolution marks a departure from the commitments made during the elections and undermines the expectations of the people who voted for us,” said a spokesperson for the PDP.

As political tensions rise, the upcoming assembly session is expected to be a platform for intense debate on the future of Jammu and Kashmir and the demands for restoring its former statehood and constitutional rights.