Indian occupied Kashmir assembly backs restoration of statehood

The regional assembly of Indian-occupied Kashmir on Monday passed a non-binding resolution supporting the restoration of statehood, which was rejected by members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party as “anti-national”.

The development is the latest in a long-running and contentious debate over governance in the Himalayan region, which has a population of around 13 million.

The dispute dates back to 2019, when Modi’s Hindu nationalist government scrapped Kashmir’s limited autonomy.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who moved the resolution, said statehood was Kashmir’s “right”.

Members of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) walked out of the house before the vote, with several of them describing the resolution as “unconstitutional” and “anti-national”.

The resolution called on the New Delhi government, which has repeatedly promised to restore statehood at an “appropriate time”, to immediately and urgently restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

It also referred to resolutions passed in 2000 and 2024 calling for the restoration of statehood.

However, all three resolutions are not constitutionally binding.

In 2024, elections were held in Kashmir for the first time after the region was placed under direct rule from New Delhi. A government was subsequently formed under the leadership of Omar Abdullah’s National Conference party.

However, the local government has limited powers, with the region effectively still administered by a lieutenant governor appointed by New Delhi.

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947.

Both countries claim the entire region and have fought several conflicts and wars over Kashmir, the most recent of which took place in May last year.