J&K statehood restoration to be raised at INDIA bloc meet today, says Farooq

Former Chief Minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Friday said that the restoration of statehood would again be raised during the INDIA bloc meeting that is scheduled on Saturday evening.

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The statement by Abdullah came as the Congress on Wednesday this week wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to introduce legislation to grant full statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Abdullah on Friday congratulated Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I welcome Kharge sahib and Rahul Gandhi ji who raised the issue with the Prime Minister,” he told reporters.

He noted that on July 19, all leaders will be meeting and the issue will be raised again. The Congress on Thursday night announced the INDIA bloc meeting would be held online on Saturday evening.

Abdullah said on Friday that statehood restoration is the right of the people. He said if BJP doesn’t restore the statehood, “we will see accordingly.”

In 2019, as the Article 370 was abrogated, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh was bifurcated into two UT’s — Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Last year, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly poll was held and now political parties, especially the ruling National Conference, are demanding restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.