union Minister of Law & Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal Tuesday said the people of Jammu and Kashmir will soon hear a decision on the restoration of statehood, reiterating the Centre’s commitment on what he described as a “very sensitive” matter.
The union Minister said the statehood restoration is a “process” and assured that the promise made in Parliament will be honoured.
“This issue is very sensitive. But when our Home Minister has said in Lok Sabha that you will get that right, then you will get it. It is a process and I think you will get to hear a decision soon,” Meghwal told media in Srinagar when asked about statehood restoration.
He was in Srinagar to attend regional workshop on tele-law activities, at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC).
Talking to media at the same venue, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that his government will not rest until statehood is restored to Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that continuous engagement with the Centre is underway despite delays in the process.
“None of us will be satisfied until we get it (statehood). Now, the process is going on. It has taken a lot of time. We were hoping that we would have got it by now. We did not get it. But we have not given up hope,” Omar said.
He said they are continuously talking to the Central government on this issue.
“I was standing here and listening. The (union) Minister said that we might hear some good news soon.
We have been waiting for that good news for a year and a half. We hope that we do not have to wait any longer,” he added.
Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised from a full-fledged state to a union Territory in August 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370 and the passage of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act by Parliament. The move bifurcated the erstwhile state into two union Territories — Jammu & Kashmir with a legislature, and Ladakh without one — placing greater administrative control with the Centre.
Now in its second year in office, the elected government led by Omar Abdullah have repeatedly urged the Centre to fulfil its commitment, stating that restoration of statehood is essential for strengthening democratic institutions and end the confusion over “dual power system”.
