Rahul Gandhi Writes to PM Modi, Demands Bill to Restore J&K Statehood in Parliament Session
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has formally written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, making a key demand to introduce a bill for the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament, which begins on July 21.
In the letter, the Congress MP described the demand as both “legitimate and firmly grounded in their constitutional and democratic rights.” However, government sources have indicated that there are currently no plans to bring such a bill in the forthcoming session, setting the stage for a potential political showdown.
The letter highlights the unique situation of Jammu and Kashmir, which was a full-fledged state before its special status under Article 370 was abrogated in August 2019. The state was subsequently bifurcated and downgraded into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
“For the past five years, the people of J&K have consistently called for the restoration of full statehood,” Gandhi wrote. “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.”
Restoring statehood has been a persistent demand from the opposition since 2019. The letter also served as a reminder of the central government’s own commitment made before the country’s top court.
“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 pointed out, referring to the hearings that challenged the abrogation of Article 370.
The demand comes in a complex security environment. The deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which resulted in 26 fatalities, has been seen by analysts as a significant setback to the prospects of an early restoration of statehood.
