In a significant political development, the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has passed a resolution calling for the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory. The decision was made during the Cabinet’s first meeting on Thursday, according to official sources cited by the news agency IANS.
The meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and ministers Sakeena Masood Itoo, Javed Ahmad Rana, Javaid Ahmad Dar, and Satish Sharma. The resolution, which was unanimously agreed upon, seeks to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood after its bifurcation into two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh—on August 5, 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated by the Central Government.
Sources confirmed that the draft of the resolution has been prepared, and Chief Minister Abdullah is expected to travel to New Delhi in the coming days to present the document to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The move signals a strong push for the revival of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, a key issue for many political leaders in the region.
Meanwhile, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah expressed optimism regarding the restoration of statehood. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he said, “We have talked about statehood before, and even today, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear an application seeking the restoration of statehood within two months. I am confident that the Government of India will soon restore it.”
When asked about the possibility of raising the issue of Article 370 in the Assembly, Farooq Abdullah stated that the National Conference would likely have to return to court to argue their case on the abrogation of the Article.
The abrogation of Article 370 and the subsequent bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territories was one of the most controversial political moves in recent Indian history. The resolution passed by the Cabinet marks a fresh chapter in the ongoing debate over Jammu and Kashmir’s future status.
