Buzz around the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir dominated chatter on social media amid the President’s back-to-back meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah India Today reported.
Separately, Shah has also held meetings with some J&K leaders as well as the BJP chief of the erstwhile state, which was bifurcated into two Union Territories and its special status was abrogated six years ago. Sources said PM Modi has also called a key meeting of NDA MPs on Tuesday.
The fact that these meetings came days ahead of the Article 370 abrogation anniversary on August 5 has only added grist to the rumour mill.
On August 3, PM Modi called on President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Interestingly, details of the meeting were not made available. Usually, a PIB statement follows such meetings.
Hours later, Amit Shah had a one-on-one meeting with the President.
In the first two days of the month, the Home Minister also held meetings with J&K BJP chief Sat Sharma and Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Kavinder Gupta.
On Monday, the president of the All J&K Shia Association, Imran Raza Ansari, met Shah to discuss the on-ground realities in the Union Territory.
SOCIAL MEDIA ON OVERDRIVE
The hectic meetings in New Delhi’s power corridors did not go unnoticed by experts and social media, who speculated that it could be a precursor to bringing a legislation to grant J&K statehood.
Retired Army officer and author Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon, who is followed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, said there was a lot of speculation about what may be announced on August 5.
“The peace in Kashmir has come about at a great cost of human lives… we should not rush into any hasty decision. As the consolidation phase for restoration of peace is going on – let the whole thing settle down, let’s not jump the gun,” Dhillon tweeted.
Geopolitical analyst Arti Tikoo Singh also said strong rumours were circulating that the Centre might grant statehood to the Union Territory.
“What’s even more bizarre is that rumour mills are suggesting that Kashmir and Jammu will be separated and reorganised into two separate states. If either is true, nothing could be more disastrous,” she said.
A third user tweeted, “Is GOI going to give J&K complete statehood? It would be surprising, and ill-timed.”
DEMAND FOR J&K STATEHOOD
On August 5, 2019, apart from abrogating Article 370, J&K was bifurcated into two Union Territories – J&K and Ladakh – under the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019.
It not only dissolved the J&K legislature, but also put the administration under the Centre’s control, through a Lieutenant Governor.
Since then, both PM Modi and Amit Shah have assured of J&K statehood restoration on several occassions without giving any timeline.
In December 2023, the Supreme Court, while upholding the abrogation of Article 370, directed the restoration of J&K’s statehood “at the earliest” and “as soon as possible”. The government had assured the court, but a decision is yet to be taken.
The demand gained momentum after elections were conducted in the state in 2024, after a decade-long wait. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his ally, the Congress, took up the cudgels demanding statehood.
While the April 22 Pahalgam attack deflated the opposition’s demand briefly, the Congress pressed forward with it by holding protests in Jantar Mantar during the ongoing Monsoon session.
WILL FRESH POLLS BE HELD?
There are also rumours that granting J&K statehood might come with the caveat of holding fresh elections as the previous polls were held when it was a Union Territory.
Abdullah had mentioned the matter in June, saying he had no objections if the Assembly was dissolved and fresh elections were conducted after statehood was restored.
“I have read that statehood will be restored, but Assembly elections would have to be held afresh. Let them do it, who has stopped them,” Abdullah told reporters.
