The Jammu & Kashmir Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has passed a resolution urging the Central government to restore the region's statehood. This resolution was passed during the Cabinet's first meeting on Thursday.
Sources revealed that the Chief Minister will travel to New Delhi in the coming days to personally deliver the draft resolution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the restoration of Jammu & Kashmir’s statehood.
The meeting, chaired by Omar Abdullah, was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and other ministers, including Sakeena Masood Itoo, Javed Ahmad Rana, Javaid Ahmad Dar, and Satish Sharma.
The issue of statehood has been a point of contention. Congress leader and JKPCC president Tariq Hameed Karra had earlier said that his party would not join the Cabinet until statehood is restored.
National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah expressed confidence that the Centre would soon fulfill this demand. He pointed out that even the Supreme Court has agreed to hear an application seeking statehood restoration within two months.
When asked about the future of Article 370, Abdullah indicated that the matter might return to court for further discussion. He also addressed concerns during a visit to Lal Chowk, emphasizing that the era of VIP culture was over. "There will be no more sirens disturbing the public. Everyone is equal here, whether locals or politicians," Abdullah said.
Jammu & Kashmir was divided into two Union Territories, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, following the abrogation of Article 370 by the Indian government on August 5, 2019.
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