J&K Assembly Passes Statehood Resolution Amid BJP Walkout, Heated Exchanges

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday passed a resolution seeking the urgent restoration of full statehood to the Union Territory, amid a walkout by BJP legislators and heated exchanges over references to the erstwhile state's status before August 5, 2019.

The resolution was moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during the ongoing autumn session. The BJP objected to the language of the resolution, with Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma saying the party supports restoration of statehood but disagrees with references to Jammu and Kashmir's pre-August 5, 2019 status.

Ten amendments were moved to the resolution, eight of which sought to broaden it to include restoration of the special status Jammu and Kashmir had before August 2019.

BJP MLAs Enter Well, Demand Speaker’s Removal

Proceedings turned stormy after BJP legislators raised “Bharat Mata ki Jai” slogans and entered the Well of the House, demanding that Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather leave the chair. They also raised the slogan, “Speaker sahib, kursi chodo, kursi chodo.”

The BJP said 23 legislators had signed a motion seeking the Speaker's removal and demanded that it be taken up and put to vote before other business.

Rather said he had not seen the motion and referred to the Assembly's rules of procedure. He said that even if a written notice seeking a motion against the Speaker had been submitted, it could be included in the House's business only on a date not earlier than 14 days from the notice.

The BJP subsequently walked out of the House as the resolution was taken up.

What Are The Proposed Amendments?

The amendments sought to expand the resolution beyond the demand for statehood. Six National Conference legislators proposed references to Articles 370 and 35A and the constitutional protections that existed before August 2019. PDP MLA Waheed Para also sought to include restoration of autonomy and Articles 370 and 35A in their original form.

Congress legislator Nizam-ud-din Bhat moved another amendment seeking a reference to commitments made by the government at various forums and to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Abdullah had introduced the statehood resolution in the Assembly on Friday. It also referred to resolutions passed by the House in 2000 and 2024. The 2000 resolution, passed during Farooq Abdullah's tenure, sought restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's pre-1953 status and was rejected by the Centre. The 2024 resolution had called for dialogue on restoration of the erstwhile state's special status.

The latest resolution focuses on restoration of full statehood, while the proposed amendments seek to reopen the wider question of the constitutional position Jammu and Kashmir held before the August 2019 changes.