SRINAGAR: The assembly of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir on Monday passed a non-binding resolution calling for the restoration of the territory’s statehood, drawing strong criticism from lawmakers belonging to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who presented the resolution, said restoring statehood was the “right” of Jammu and Kashmir.
The resolution urges the Indian government in New Delhi to take immediate steps to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s full statehood. New Delhi has previously said statehood would be restored at an “appropriate time”.
BJP lawmakers opposed the resolution and walked out of the assembly ahead of the vote. Several described the measure as “unconstitutional” and “anti-national”.
The resolution also cites earlier demands for greater autonomy, including resolutions adopted in 2000 and 2024. None of the three resolutions has binding constitutional force.
The latest development comes amid an ongoing political dispute over the status and governance of the Himalayan territory after the Modi government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status in 2019 and placed it under direct federal control.
Jammu and Kashmir held elections in 2024, resulting in the formation of a government led by Abdullah’s National Conference. However, the elected administration has limited authority, with key powers remaining with an administrator appointed by New Delhi.
The Muslim-majority region has remained at the centre of a decades-old dispute between India and Pakistan. Both countries claim the entire territory and have fought several conflicts over Kashmir since gaining independence from British rule in 1947.
An armed insurgency began in 1989 against Indian rule, with various groups calling for independence or accession to Pakistan. The insurgency has since been significantly weakened, while hundreds of thousands of Indian security personnel remain deployed across the region.
