Fri Oct 18 14:51:56 UTC 2024: ## Omar Abdullah’s First Act: Calls for Jammu & Kashmir’s Statehood Restoration

**Srinagar, January 5, 2024:** In its inaugural cabinet meeting, the new government led by Omar Abdullah has passed a resolution urging the central government to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution, drafted by the National Conference which won a decisive victory in the recent assembly elections, is expected to be presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Chief Minister Abdullah during a visit to New Delhi.

However, the decision to pass the resolution through the cabinet rather than the assembly has drawn criticism from several quarters. Sajad Lone, chief of the People’s Conference, questioned the move, highlighting the assembly as the appropriate forum for such crucial matters.

“Cabinet is a majoritarian institution of governance. It does not reflect all shades and opinions as per the will of the people of J and K,” Lone stated on X.

Similarly, PDP MLA Waheed Para criticized the resolution as merely a symbolic gesture, failing to address the larger issue of Article 370. “No resolution on Article 370 and scaling down the demand to mere statehood is a huge setback,” Para wrote on X.

Meanwhile, a plea for a time-bound restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir was mentioned in the Supreme Court for urgent hearing. The court has agreed to hear the matter. Earlier, the Supreme Court upheld the revocation of Article 370 in December 2023 but emphasized the need for restoring the state’s status “at the earliest.”

With the assembly elections recently concluded, Omar Abdullah has made it clear that his government will prioritize the resolution seeking the restoration of statehood and special status. The new government has pledged to be the voice of the people, expressing hope that Jammu and Kashmir will soon regain its full statehood.

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