Srinagar : Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has reached out to the presidents of more than 40 political parties, urging their backing for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. In his letter, sent on Tuesday, Abdullah emphasized that this move should not be seen as a concession, but rather as a vital “course correction.”
In the two-page communication, Abdullah called for legislation to be introduced in the ongoing Parliament session to reinstate statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
This appeal follows a unanimous resolution passed by his government nine months ago, demanding the immediate restoration of statehood. Abdullah noted that the resolution was personally submitted to the Prime Minister, who had assured follow-up action.
The chief minister’s letter also coincides with the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganization of the former state into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
“Restoration must not be seen as a concession, but as a critical course correction — one that guards against a dangerous precedent where the statehood of our constituent states is no longer upheld as a fundamental constitutional right, but is instead treated as a privilege granted at the Centre’s discretion,” Abdullah wrote.
