JAMMU, Sep 28: Mission Statehood leaders, led by its president Sunil Dimple, organised a welcome rally in Jammu following the passage of a resolution by the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly seeking the immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution was passed on Monday amid protests and a walkout by BJP legislators.
Addressing the rally, Dimple welcomed the Assembly resolution and described its passage as a significant development for the statehood campaign. He recalled that following the constitutional changes of August 5, 2019, he had pledged to campaign for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and raised the issue through public demonstrations and legal forums.
Dimple claimed that his organisation had consistently raised the demand for restoration of the erstwhile Dogra state and said the latest Assembly resolution represented an important step in that campaign.
The resolution moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah calls upon the Government of India to urgently restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and provides for forwarding the resolution to the Union Government. It also refers to earlier Assembly resolutions of June 26, 2000, and November 6, 2024.
Dimple, however, said the demand should go beyond restoration of statehood. He referred to issues including restoration of the earlier state-subject framework, domicile provisions, autonomy and matters connected with the Instrument of Accession. These additional demands are part of Dimple’s political position and go beyond the operative text of the statehood resolution reported by the Assembly and news agencies.
He also challenged Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma to seek dissolution of the Assembly and take the statehood demand before the Union Government. Dimple questioned the position of BJP legislators on the restoration of the erstwhile state and alleged that their stand was inconsistent with their stated support for Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
The BJP has opposed the wording of the Assembly resolution, particularly references to the 2000 autonomy resolution and the pre-August 2019 constitutional position. BJP leaders have said that while the party supports restoration of statehood, it objects to references that go beyond that demand.
Dimple also called upon National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to fulfil commitments made to the people regarding statehood and other issues. He reiterated demands concerning Article 370, the state-subject system, domicile provisions, autonomy and the Instrument of Accession.
He alleged that Jammu and Kashmir’s youth and residents had faced difficulties following the loss of statehood in 2019 and said the restoration of statehood should now be pursued with urgency.
The rally was attended by Nagendra Choudhary, Ashok Sharma, Happy, Rocky, Shami, Happy Singh, Sunny, Baba and several other Mission Statehood supporters.