Form House panel on statehood restoration, Cong MLA urges J&K govt

Congress chief whip and MLA from Bandipore, Nizamuddin Bhat, on Wednesday called on the Jammu and Kashmir government to form an all-party delegation or House panel to take up the issue of statehood restoration with the Centre.

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Speaking during the motion of thanks on the Lieutenant Governor’s address in the ongoing Assembly budget session in Jammu, Bhat emphasised that beyond political and emotional concerns, restoring statehood was a “constitutional imperative”.

“I believe the Reorganisation Act is only a temporary arrangement because there is an open commitment in Parliament that statehood will be restored,” he asserted.

Bhat stressed that since Parliament is the supreme authority, the promise of restoring statehood must be honoured. “It is also a moral obligation. The PM and other leaders must uphold their commitments — statements they made either on the floor of the House or elsewhere. Furthermore, the Supreme Court has made observations in this regard, reinforcing the constitutional necessity of the restoration,” he added.

Warning that further delay was causing more harm than good, the Congress leader outlined two options: “Either we take this matter directly to the government, or we go to the people of India.”

Addressing the CM, Bhat urged him to leverage his massive mandate and lead an all-party delegation to present the case before PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

“This is a state that is in limbo. It has been denigrated, not elevated to a position of pride. If we are sincere about serving our people, we must act swiftly — either by forming an all-party delegation or a House panel to push for statehood,” he said.

His remarks come just days after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in his address to the Assembly, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to restoring full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, stating that efforts were being made to engage stakeholders in the process.