Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah moved a resolution in the Union Territory's Legislative Assembly on Friday, September 25, with a call for immediate and total restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Abdullah told the Centre that it was promised that statehood would be completed through three steps: delimitation, elections and restoration of statehood.
Omar Abdullah, the author of the resolution, said the first two stages of the process had already taken place. The delimitation and the subsequent Assembly elections were the next steps, he said, and the restoration of statehood was the last step. “We were promised” that this process would take place, he said.
The resolution calls upon the Government of India to undertake the "immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood" to Jammu and Kashmir. It also proposes that the resolution be forwarded to the Centre. This is in line with the continued efforts of the elected J&K government to restore the former statehood status to the region.
Omar Abdullah Recalls Three-Step Process
Abdullah told the Assembly that assurances about statehood had been made in Parliament, in the Supreme Court and in other public forums. The sequence talked about was delimitation first, elections and statehood restoration then, the Chief Minister said.
He also referred to voter participation in the Assembly elections, saying people had participated in large numbers. Abdullah argued that the electoral process should now be followed by the third stage — restoration of statehood.
The Chief Minister also cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's involvement with the earlier assurance, saying that the J&K government wanted to remind the Centre of the commitment that had been made to the people. His remarks helped form the political frame for the resolution that was passed in the House.
Resolution Sparks Uproar In Assembly
The resolution was welcomed by members of the ruling National Conference and Congress, who thumped their desks after Abdullah introduced it. BJP legislators, however, objected to the resolution, particularly because it referred to an earlier Assembly resolution from 2000 on greater autonomy.
The disagreement soon erupted into loud scenes in the Assembly. BJP members reportedly raised slogans, tore copies of the resolution and entered the Well of the House, according to sources. Members from the ruling benches shouted slogans as the proceedings went on.
The resolution itself refers to earlier resolutions passed by the J&K Assembly including one from June 26, 2000 and another from November 6, 2024. The reference to the earlier autonomy resolution became a major point of contention during Friday's proceedings.
Omar Abdullah's Continued Statehood Demand
The restoration of statehood is still a major issue for the Omar Abdullah-led government since it came to power after the 2024 Assembly elections. The elected government has often made the case for J&K to be fully returned to its status of statehood while the Centre has not been able to do so by far.
Abdullah and National Conference leaders also increased their campaign for statehood in July 2026 through a protest in New Delhi. The issue is still a major political demand of the party and the J&K government.
The J&K Assembly had also passed a resolution in November 2024 about the constitutional status of the region, which the current resolution specifically seeks for the restoration of full statehood.
What’s Next?
Omar Abdullah’s resolution is now part of the Assembly’s discussions on statehood. Abdullah has asked the House to deliberate on and pass the resolution before sending it to the Government of India.
The latest development highlights the ongoing political argument over Jammu and Kashmir's constitutional and administrative status. For Omar Abdullah's government, statehood restoration is a fundamental issue and the BJP's objections in the Assembly show the gap between political parties over the language and references in the resolution.
The outcome will now depend on the Assembly's proceedings and the Centre's response. For now, Omar Abdullah's move makes the issue of full statehood once more at the heart of political discussion in Jammu and Kashmir.
