Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the government to bring a bill for the restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament.
In the letter, Gandhi said the demand was both legitimate and firmly grounded in their constitutional and democratic rights. However, as per sources, the government has no plans to bring such a bill in the upcoming session, which begins on July 21.
When Article 370 was abrogated in August 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was also bifurcated into two Union Territories – J&K, and Ladakh.
For the past five years, the people of J&K have consistently called for the restoration of full statehood… While there have been instances of Union Territories being granted statehood in the past, the case of J&K is without precedent in independent India. This is the first time a full-fledged state has been downgraded to a Union Territory following its bifurcation,” the letter said.
The restoration of statehood to the Union Territory has been a long-pending demand of the opposition. However, the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which left 26 dead, came as a blow to the demand.
The Congress MP also reminded PM Modi of the government’s assurances before the Supreme Court during hearings challenging the abrogation of Article 370.
“The Union Government has made assurances before the Supreme Court that statehood would be restored at the earliest and as soon as possible,” the letter said.
Both PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have assured of J&K statehood restoration on several occassions without giving any timeline.
Gandhi also urged the Centre to bring a bill to include Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution – a key demand of several activists, including Sonam Wangchuk, who had gone on an indefinite fast.
“This would be a significant step towards addressing the cultural, developmental, and political aspirations of the people of Ladakh, while safeguarding their rights, land, and identity,” it stated.
The Sixth Schedule provides for the formation of tribal administrative regions. A majority of the population in Ladakh belongs to Scheduled Tribes.