Leaders of Opposition in both Houses of Parliament – Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge – on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking introduction of legislation in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament to grant full statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The letter comes a day after Congress leaders, after a meeting of the party’s top brass, said the issue will be raised prominently in the Monsoon Session, which begins on Monday. In their joint letter, Gandhi and Kharge wrote: “For the past five years, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have consistently called for the restoration of full statehood. This demand is both legitimate and firmly grounded in their constitutional and democratic rights.” The Congress leaders said it was “important” to recognise that while there have been instances of Union territories being granted statehood in the past, the case of Jammu and Kashmir is without precedent in independent India. “This is the first time a full-fledged state has been downgraded to a Union territory following its bifurcation,” read the letter. It further said that PM Modi has on multiple occasions, personally reiterated the government's commitment to restoring statehood. “In your interview in Bhubaneswar on 19 May 2024, you stated: 'The restoration of statehood is a solemn promise we have made and we stand by it.’ Again, while addressing a rally in Srinagar on 19 September 2024, you reaffirmed: ‘We have said in Parliament that we will restore the region's statehood',” the letter read. It also mentioned that the Centre has made "similar assurances" before the Supreme Court, during hearings on matters related to the abrogation of Article 370, that statehood would be restored “at the earliest and as soon as possible.” “In view of the foregoing and aforementioned, we urge upon the Government to bring forward a legislation in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament to grant full statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” the letter added. ‘Include Ladakh under Sixth Schedule’ The two LOPs also requested that the government bring forward legislation to include the Union Territory of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. “This would be a significant step towards addressing the cultural, developmental, and political aspirations of the people of Ladakh, while safeguarding their rights, land, and identity," it said. On August 5, 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two Union territories after the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. Following the repeal of Article 370 and the subsequent enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, Ladakh has been recognised as a separate Union territory “without legislature”. Ever since the separation, there has been a demand that Ladakh be included under the Sixth Schedule which contains provisions regarding the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
