Restore J&K Statehood without Delay and Fulfill Public Commitments Made in Parliament: Ashok Bhan Prominent Supreme Court Lawyer and Kashmiri leader

Prominent Supreme Court lawyer and Kashmiri leader Ashok Bhan on Sunday has called on the Prime Minister and Home Minister to fulfill their public commitments made in Parliament and during election campaigns to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir immediately after assembly elections are concluded.

Speaking at a webinar hosted by the World Peace & Reconciliation Forum in Delhi, Bhan highlighted the same commitment is reflected in the stand and statement of the Union of India in the Supreme Court of India which forms part of the Judgement of the five judges Constitution bench in Article 370 matter.

Bhan quotes what the Constitution Bench of give hon’ble Judges have held, “In the present matter, the majority held that there was no need to go into the question of whether or not J&K lost its “character” because of the reorganisation into two Union Territories. The judges relied on the submission of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who had told the Court that J&K’s statehood would be restored in due time and this would not impact the Union Territory of Ladakh. Therefore, they left the question of determining the contours of Article 3 open to be determined in a different case where the question emerges.”

“The Court directed that J&K’s statehood be restored as soon as possible.”

“In conformity with the commitment in and out side the parliament and in response to the directions of hon’ble Supreme Court the elected JK government led by Omar Abdullah passed a resolution: The Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet has passed a resolution urging Union Government to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir”, he said.

Earlier, The Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir passed a unanimous resolution for restoration of statehood in its original form.

The restoration of statehood will be a beginning of a healing process, reclaiming the constitutional rights and protecting identity of people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Cabinet has authorised the Chief Minister to take up the matter with the Prime Minister and Government of India for restoration of statehood.

CM Omar Abdullah called on Prime Minister, the Home Minister, the Vice President and her excellency the President of India to press the people’s demand for restoration of Statehood.

Bhan said it becomes incumbent on the Union of India to order restoration of the Statehood to Jammu & Kashmir in the interest of the cohesion and integrity and regional aspirations.

He urged the Union government to fast track the decision for restoration of Statehood as the only political means to set right the turbulent affairs of Jammu & Kashmir.It is an effective answer to the electorally division and fault lines surfaced in the recent elections.These are fraught with dangers of further deepening the regional divide.

Bhan complimented the astuteness of CM Omar Abdullah who is handling the sensitivities competently and trying to address the emerging political fault lines very sensibly.The central leadership shall have to rise above party lines and help all out the Omar Abdullah’s government that has come to power with a massive people’s mandate.New Delhi has to help the thought process of PM Modi who says in the context of J &K : “DIL KI DOORI aur Dilli KE DOORIYAAN MITHANI HAI”