Srinagar. As soon as the government elected by the people comes to power in Jammu and Kashmir, the process of acquiring the status of a full state from the Union Territory has started. In this context, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has approved the proposal passed by the cabinet led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in which the Central Government has been urged to restore the state status of the Union Territory.
This resolution, passed unanimously in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday, demands restoration of the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir to its original form. Officials confirmed that the LG has given his approval to this proposal.
The spokesperson said, “A process will begin with the restoration of statehood, regaining constitutional rights and protecting the identity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.” The Cabinet has authorized Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to pursue the case with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India for restoration of statehood.
Apart from this, the Cabinet has decided to convene the Assembly session in Srinagar on November 4 and has also advised the LG to convene and address the Assembly. The draft of LG’s address to the Assembly was presented before the Council of Ministers for the beginning of the first session. The Council decided that the draft should be further reviewed and discussed.
Opposition parties criticized the proposal
However, the proposal has faced criticism from various political parties for being limited in scope, not addressing only restoration of statehood and restoration of Article 370. Parties like the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), People’s Conference (PC) and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) criticized the National Conference (NC), accusing it of “complete capitulation” and change from pre-poll stance.
