Jammu and Kashmir assembly passes resolution calling for restoration of special status amid uproar

The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly passed a resolution on Wednesday urging the Union government to restore the region’s special status, which was revoked in 2019. The resolution, moved by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, highlights the importance of the special status in preserving Jammu and Kashmir’s identity, culture, and rights. It also stresses that any restoration must respect national unity and the region’s aspirations.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members opposed the resolution, arguing it was not part of the scheduled agenda. Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma criticized it as a futile gesture, claiming it had no practical impact. In response, members from the National Conference (NC) and other parties raised slogans in support of the resolution, leading to chaos. BJP members tore up copies of the resolution and threw them into the well of the assembly.

Despite the uproar, Congress MLA Nizamuddin Bhat accused the BJP of dishonoring parliamentary procedures. Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather then moved forward with the voice vote, and the resolution passed. BJP members, however, stormed the well of the House in protest, prompting the Speaker to briefly adjourn the session.

In 2019, the Modi government revoked Article 370, which granted Jammu and Kashmir special autonomous status, and reorganized the region into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.