PDP MLA Waheed Para Moves Amendment To J&K Statehood Resolution, Seeks Restoration Of Articles 370, 35A

PDP MLA Waheed Para has moved an amendment to the statehood resolution introduced by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the Assembly, seeking restoration of the special constitutional provisions that earlier applied to the Union Territory under Articles 370 and 35A.

Abdullah’s resolution calls for the “immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood” to Jammu and Kashmir and seeks to forward the House’s resolution to the Government of India. The move has drawn opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

What Does Omar Abdullah’s Resolution Say?

The resolution introduced by Abdullah focuses on the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. It calls for the “immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood” and asks that the Assembly’s resolution be sent to the Government of India.

The resolution also refers to two earlier resolutions passed by the House.

One was adopted on June 26, 2000, during the National Conference-led government headed by Farooq Abdullah. It sought the restoration of greater autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir as it existed before August 9, 1953.

The other was passed on November 6, 2024, when the Assembly sought restoration of the erstwhile special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

What Does Waheed Para’s Amendment Seek?

Para’s amendment seeks to add a demand for the reinstatement of the special constitutional provisions under Articles 370 and 35A to the current resolution seeking restoration of statehood.

If adopted, the amendment would broaden the resolution beyond the restoration of statehood to include a demand linked to Jammu and Kashmir’s erstwhile special constitutional status.

Why Has The BJP Opposed The Move?

The BJP has opposed the amendment and the resolution. The party has also sought the dismissal of the Omar Abdullah government, alleging that its recent moves are aimed at reviving an earlier political arrangement and challenging the existing constitutional framework.

BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma accused the National Conference-Congress government of attempting to go beyond the Assembly’s constitutional domain through the resolution.

Sharma said the resolution sought to revive issues related to autonomy and the constitutional arrangement that existed before 1953.