J&K Statehood Resolution Passes as Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Sees J&K BJP Walkout

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday, September 28, passed a resolution calling for the immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood to the Union Territory after a heated debate that ended with BJP legislators walking out before the vote.

The J&K statehood resolution has become the latest flashpoint in the Assembly’s autumn session. According to The Indian Express, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah moved the resolution on September 25, and it was taken up for discussion on Monday after members sought time to debate its wording.

What The Resolution Says

The resolution calls on the Government of India to restore full statehood and states that the measure is in addition to Assembly resolutions adopted on June 26, 2000, and November 6, 2024. It also says the resolution should be forwarded to the Centre.

The 2000 resolution dealt with greater autonomy for the then state, while the 2024 Assembly resolution sought restoration of special status and constitutional guarantees. Those earlier measures became a major point of dispute during Monday’s proceedings.

For the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, the immediate issue was restoration of statehood. Several legislators, however, proposed amendments seeking explicit references to Article 370, Article 35A, autonomy and the constitutional position before August 5, 2019.

Why The BJP Walked Out

BJP legislators objected to those references and also challenged Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather’s decision to allow the resolution to proceed. The BJP has said it supports restoration of statehood but opposes combining that demand with the earlier autonomy and special-status issues.

Omar Abdullah asked members who had proposed amendments not to press them, arguing that the Assembly had already recorded its position on special status through earlier resolutions. The amendments were subsequently withdrawn, clearing the way for the vote.

The J&K BJP walkout came as the Speaker put the resolution to a voice vote. BJP legislators left the House, while the resolution was adopted. The Assembly later adjourned for the day and is scheduled to meet again on Tuesday.

Statehood Resolution Does Not Restore Statehood

The J&K statehood resolution does not itself change Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional status. It is a resolution calling on the Union government to restore statehood; any actual change would require action at the national level.

The vote also comes amid a continuing political debate within the National Conference over the relationship between the demand for statehood and issues linked to Article 370. An earlier dispute involving Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi focused on the party’s position on constitutional restoration and the restoration of statehood.

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will now send the resolution to the Government of India. The J&K BJP walkout has also left a clear dispute over the resolution’s wording, particularly its connection with the 2000 autonomy resolution and the 2024 special-status resolution.