Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have criticised the Omar Abdullah-led Cabinet’s resolution that sought the restoration of statehood but omitted any mention of Article 370. Various parties, including the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), People’s Conference (PC), and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), labelled the move as a betrayal of the National Conference’s (NC) pre-election promises to restore both statehood and Article 370.
The Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, passed the resolution requesting statehood restoration, which was later sent to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for approval, news agency PTI reported.
The decision sparked outrage amongst Opposition leaders, who reminded the NC of its manifesto commitment to challenge the Centre’s 2019 decision that revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and downgraded it to a Union Territory.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti criticised the resolution, calling it an “utter surrender” and accusing the NC of legitimising the Centre’s disempowerment of Jammu and Kashmir. PDP Youth President Waheed Para echoed this sentiment, stating that scaling back the demand to just statehood was a “huge setback” for the region.
Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid expressed disappointment, saying the resolution was a “departure” from the NC’s principled stand. He questioned why Abdullah would request statehood when the BJP had already promised its restoration, suggesting that the omission of Article 370 showed the NC was playing into the BJP’s hands.
People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone also expressed confusion over the secrecy surrounding the resolution and argued that such decisions should be debated in the Assembly, not just in the Cabinet. He urged the NC to fulfill its election promises and bring the matter of statehood and Article 370 to the Assembly for a proper vote.
The resolution has stirred political tensions in the region, with parties continuing to demand the full restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status as per their pre-election commitments.
