SRINAGAR: In a political outreach ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have jointly written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to fulfil the government’s commitment to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and to bring Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The letter reads that for the past five years, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have consistently demanded the return of statehood, a demand the Congress leaders termed “legitimate and firmly grounded in their constitutional and democratic rights.”
The Congress leaders underlined the distinctiveness of the Jammu and Kashmir case, stating that while Union Territories have previously been granted statehood, this is the first instance in independent India’s history where a full-fledged state was downgraded to a Union Territory. “This unprecedented move, following the bifurcation, has led to widespread demands for its reversal,” the letter reads.
Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s past statements, Kharge and Gandhi reminded him of his public assurance on restoring statehood. They cited his speech in Bhubaneswar on May 19, 2024, where he described the restoration as a “solemn promise,” and his address at a rally in Srinagar on September 19, 2024, where he reiterated, “We have said in Parliament that we will restore the region’s statehood.”
The letter also recalled the Centre’s submission before the Supreme Court during hearings on Article 370, in which the government had stated that Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood would be reinstated “at the earliest and as soon as possible.”
In addition, the Congress leaders urged the Prime Minister to address the aspirations of the people of Ladakh. They called for legislation to bring Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to protect its cultural, developmental, and political identity.
They said that inclusion under the Sixth Schedule would help safeguard the rights, land, and identity of Ladakh’s people, and respond to long-standing public demands from the region.
The letter concluded with an appeal to the Prime Minister to introduce appropriate legislation during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament to address both issues, describing it as a political and constitutional responsibility of the Union Government. (KNT)
