The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday, September 28, passed a resolution calling upon the Government of India to immediately and urgently restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution was passed by voice vote after a detailed debate in the House, with BJP legislators staging protests and walking out before the vote.
The resolution was moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on September 25. It calls for the restoration of full statehood and says that the resolution should be forwarded to the Government of India for necessary action. The text also refers to earlier resolutions passed by the Assembly in June 2000 and November 2024.
The BJP strongly opposed the manner and contents of the resolution, particularly the reference to the 2000 autonomy resolution. BJP members raised slogans, tore copies of the resolution and later walked out of the House. Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma said the BJP supports restoration of statehood but objected to what it described as the inclusion of issues relating to autonomy and the earlier constitutional position.
During the debate, several members had proposed amendments seeking references to Articles 370 and 35A and the restoration of special status. Those amendments were eventually withdrawn following an appeal by the Chief Minister. Omar Abdullah argued that the Assembly had already passed separate resolutions on special status and that the latest resolution was specifically focused on the demand for restoration of full statehood.
Omar Abdullah also questioned the continued delay in restoring statehood nearly two years after the Assembly elections. He referred to the Supreme Court’s December 2023 judgment, which directed that statehood be restored at the earliest after elections. The Chief Minister sought clarity from the Centre on what it meant by restoring statehood at an “appropriate time” and questioned whether the process was being linked to the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chief Minister argued that the restoration of statehood should not be treated as a favour to any political party or government. He said the demand concerned the people of Jammu and Kashmir and raised several administrative issues that he attributed to the Union Territory structure, including the absence of an Advocate General and delays involving certain administrative and institutional matters.
The passage of the resolution has once again brought the question of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood to the centre of political debate. While the Assembly has formally called for immediate restoration, the resolution itself is an appeal to the Government of India and does not by itself restore statehood. The next steps therefore depend on action by the Union Government.
The latest resolution comes nearly two years after the Assembly passed a separate resolution in November 2024 seeking dialogue with the Centre on restoration of special status and constitutional guarantees. The 2026 resolution, however, specifically focuses on the immediate restoration of full statehood.
The development is likely to keep the issue of statehood prominent in Jammu and Kashmir’s political discourse, with differences between the ruling parties and the BJP continuing over the wording, constitutional context and timing of the demand.
