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PDP and NC leaders demand major changes in Jammu Kashmir statehood proposal. (Img: Dynamite News)
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir’s Legislative Assembly has become the centre of a renewed political contest after PDP legislators Waheed-ur-Rehman Para and Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi sought amendments to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s statehood resolution, demanding explicit references to Article 370 and Article 35A.
The developments have intensified the debate among political parties, exposing differences over whether the Assembly’s demand should remain limited to statehood restoration or also address issues linked with Jammu and Kashmir’s previous constitutional arrangement.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah introduced a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly seeking the immediate restoration of full statehood for the Union Territory. The resolution referred to earlier Assembly decisions and called upon the Government of India to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
However, several legislators argued that the wording of the resolution was not comprehensive enough and did not reflect concerns related to the constitutional changes implemented after August 5, 2019.
The demand for amendments has shifted the political narrative from a statehood-centric discussion to a larger debate on constitutional safeguards, federal structure and the future political roadmap of Jammu and Kashmir.
PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para from Pulwama submitted an amendment proposal seeking the inclusion of references to restoring Article 370 and Article 35A in their original form.
Para argued that any discussion on Jammu and Kashmir’s political future should also acknowledge the region’s earlier constitutional position and autonomy-related provisions.
Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi also moved amendments, seeking references to Article 370 and Article 35A while raising concerns over the decisions taken after August 5, 2019. His proposal highlighted the reorganisation of the former state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and called for addressing the political consequences of those changes.
The amendment debate has also gained momentum within the ruling alliance, with several National Conference legislators seeking changes in the resolution. The legislators who moved amendments include Tanvir Sadiq, Javid Hassan Baig, Ajaz Ahmed Jan, Altaf Ahmad Wani, Hilal Akbar Lone and Choudhary Mohammad Akram.
Their proposals seek references to constitutional guarantees associated with Articles 370 and 35A as they existed before August 5, 2019. The move has created a significant political moment for the Omar Abdullah-led government, as legislators from within the ruling camp have pushed for a wider interpretation of the statehood resolution.
Congress chief whip Nizamuddin Bhat also proposed an amendment highlighting commitments made by governments at various forums and concerns of people affected by previous decisions.
The latest Assembly debate is linked with Jammu and Kashmir’s long political history surrounding autonomy and constitutional status. In June 2000, the National Conference government led by Farooq Abdullah had passed an autonomy resolution seeking restoration of greater autonomy as it existed before August 9, 1953. The proposal was later rejected by the then BJP-led government at the Centre.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly also passed a resolution in November 2024 regarding restoration of special status, adding another chapter to the region’s continuing political debate. The current resolution has therefore become part of a larger political narrative involving statehood, regional identity, federal relations and constitutional representation.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has strongly opposed attempts to include references to Article 370 and Article 35A in the resolution. BJP leaders have argued that the Assembly should focus only on statehood restoration and should not reopen debates related to constitutional changes made after August 5, 2019.
BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma criticised the move and alleged that the resolution was an attempt to revisit the earlier constitutional framework of Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP has maintained that decisions taken after August 5, 2019, represent a constitutional transformation and that issues related to Article 370 and Article 35A should not be brought back into the Assembly proceedings.
The ongoing Assembly proceedings are expected to remain politically significant as lawmakers debate the proposed amendments and the final shape of the statehood resolution.
The outcome of the discussion will indicate whether the final resolution remains focused on statehood restoration or expands into a wider political statement covering constitutional issues and Jammu and Kashmir’s previous status.
The debate has once again placed Jammu and Kashmir’s political future, governance structure and constitutional questions at the centre of national attention.
