J&K Statehood: Omar reminds PM Modi of promise

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday reignited the ‘Statehood’ debate by sending a terse reminder to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the floor of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly after moving a resolution seeking the complete restoration of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying a commitment described as Modi ka wada should have been implemented.

“PM Modi earlier said that it was Modi ka wada, which means it was extraordinary from a normal promise. If it was Modi ka wada, then it should have been implemented as well,” Omar said in the Assembly after tabling the resolution.

The Resolution read, “In addition to the resolutions passed by this House on 26 June 2000 and 6 November 2024, the House calls upon the Government of India for the immediate and urgent restoration of full Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and resolves that this resolution be forwarded to the Government of India.”

The NC-led Government, headed by Farooq Abdullah, passed a resolution on June 26, 2000, calling for the restoration of greater autonomy as it existed before August 9, 1953.

On November 6, 2024, the House passed a resolution seeking the restoration of special status. Members occupying the treasury benches welcomed the tabling of the resolution with thumping of desks. However, the reference to the 2000 resolution triggered protests from BJP members.

BJP members accused the Government of “befooling” the people of Jammu and Kashmir, while National Conference and Congress members responded with slogans including Sada Haq Ithey Rakh.

NC members also raised slogans demanding the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

The protests escalated as a majority of BJP legislators entered the Well of the House, leading to a noisy confrontation. Amid the continued ruckus, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather initially adjourned the House for half an hour.

“We will not allow discussion on the issue of autonomy in the House,” BJP MLA RS Pathania said.

BJP MLAs alleged that rules were flouted as the chief minister read out the resolution even before tabling it in the House and tore copies of the resolution. Several MLAs got into heated arguments as the pandemonium continued.

Speaking on the resolution, the chief minister said the House should debate and pass it in one voice, as denial of Statehood has proven extremely detrimental to Jammu and Kashmir.

“A promise was made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. A promise was made in Parliament, a promise in the Supreme Court, and a promise in various public forums that a three-step process would be implemented: first delimitation, then elections, and then statehood,” he said.

Abdullah said that while delimitation happened and elections were also held in which people participated enthusiastically and willingly, statehood has not been restored.

“We kept waiting. Publicly, privately, in every meeting and in every forum, we reminded the Government of India of its promise to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. But that promise remained unfulfilled. Today, through this House, we want to remind the Government of India that something must finally be done about its promises,” Abdullah said.

He said even the prime minister has associated his name with the promise.

“We were present at a function; the LoP was there, as were others, where I spoke about statehood in my speech and said that it was a promise of the Government of India. So, when the Prime Minister was giving his speech, he said that this is not an ordinary promise; it is Modi’s promise, meaning this is more than a common promise,” Abdullah said. He asked them why it was not being fulfilled.

As the House witnessed acrimonious scenes, the Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather urged the members to take their seats, but the din persisted. The members traded barbs with each other, with some of them starting fist fights. The Speaker marshalled out one BJP legislator from the floor of the assembly before adjourning the House till Monday.

Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly complex, Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma said the BJP is ready to debate the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, but would not allow a debate on Article 370 or the 2000 autonomy resolution.

Sharma said the resolution moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is “controversial” and questioned the inclusion of the 2000 autonomy resolution in the fresh resolution seeking restoration of statehood.

“Today’s resolution moved by the Chief Minister is controversial and disputed. The BJP had rejected the autonomy resolution and even tore it up. Why is that resolution being discussed again in today’s resolution?” Sharma said.

He also questioned the Congress party’s position on the autonomy resolution and Article 370, asking it to clarify whether it stood with the resolution or the government. “Congress should clear its position, from Rahul Gandhi to the State Chief of Congress. Is it with this resolution? Is it with the pre-1953 resolution? Is it with the resolution of 370, or is it with the Government?” he said.

Sharma also questioned Omar Abdullah’s position, pointing out that he was a minister in the NDA Government led by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee when the autonomy resolution was rejected. “When the BJP rejected and tore up this resolution, wasn’t Omar Abdullah a minister in the NDA at that time? Didn’t he continue as a partner of the NDA?” he asked.

The LoP said the government is using the statehood issue to divert attention from governance-related issues, while asserting that the BJP was ready for a debate on statehood. “If you want to debate statehood, we challenge you. We are ready to debate on statehood.

LoP Sharma said the BJP would continue its protest until the Congress clarified its position on Article 370 and the autonomy resolution and the government answered its questions.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also clarified outside the Assembly complex that the resolution he tabled in the house was not for greater autonomy or special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the unruly scenes and sloganeering by the BJP MLAs, the chief minister said, “You saw how the BJP reacted to this. Because they do not want to vote on statehood, they want to back out of this vote under one pretext or another.”

Abdullah said he did not seek a vote on the resolutions passed by the legislative assembly on June 26, 2000, on -- restoration of greater autonomy under the Indian Constitution -- or on November 6, 2024 -- for the restoration of special status to Jammu and Kashmir. “Today, no one is asking them to vote on Article 370. Today, no one is asking them to vote on Jammu and Kashmir’s special position, special status, or autonomy. Those resolutions have already been passed; they are the property of the house,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the fresh resolution he tabled in the house on Friday does not subsume the previous resolutions.

“We are not bringing those resolutions back for a vote; the house has already passed them. Today, we are asking for a vote from the BJP solely and exclusively on statehood, and they are not ready to vote on statehood,” he added. Abdullah said he brought the resolution as the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly represents the voice of the people.

“We wanted a resolution to be passed here and sent to the Government of India, stating that Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood should be restored immediately,” he added.

Abdullah also referred to BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma’s remarks that the Government must be accountable for its governance over the past two years.

“I am ready. Bring the discussion on Monday; whatever our performance has been over the past two years, we will place everything before the house. And the difficulties we faced over these two years, the problems we ran into, the hardships we had to confront, we will bring all of that forward as well. And after that, we hope the house votes on this resolution, and we will send this resolution to the Central Government,” he said.

On the BJP’s charge that the resolution was “anti-national”, the chief minister said that asking for Statehood does not make one anti-national.

“Show me one anti-national word used in this resolution. Show me one unconstitutional word we have used. We are simply saying that the Centre must immediately restore complete statehood to Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

The Chief Minister said he had to mention those earlier resolutions as he did not want anyone to fall prey to any misunderstanding.