Parvaiz wani cniSrinagar (CNI NEWS): The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday passed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s resolution seeking the early restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, bringing a contentious debate to a decisive close amid sharp exchanges between the treasury benches and the BJP.Several legislators had proposed amendments seeking references to Article 370, Article 35A and the 2000 autonomy resolution.

The proposed changes triggered strong objections and threatened to widen the scope of the resolution beyond the immediate demand for restoration of statehood.However, the amendments were subsequently withdrawn after consultations with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, clearing the way for the original resolution to be taken up and passed by the House.The BJP strongly opposed the proceedings and staged a walkout, maintaining its objections to attempts to link the statehood demand with the region’s previous constitutional and political arrangements.Omar Abdullah, while defending the resolution, reiterated that restoration of statehood is an internal constitutional matter to be decided by the Government of India. He also sought clarity on the Supreme Court’s observation that statehood should be restored “as soon as possible.”The passage of the resolution marks a significant political assertion by the elected J&K Assembly, but it does not itself restore statehood.

The final decision on changing Jammu and Kashmir’s present Union Territory status rests with the Government of India and the constitutional process applicable to such a change.The Assembly’s action also underlined the sharp political divide over Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional future, with the ruling benches pressing for restoration of statehood and the BJP rejecting attempts to reopen issues connected with Article 370 and the former special-status framework. CNI NEWS