Recent statement of Union Minister Kiran Rijiju in Srinagar is clear indication of the Centre govt lead by Modi led govt not to restore statehood to the Jammu and Kashmir which was snatched by the BJP govt on 5th August , 2019. Despite Supreme Court’s direction to restore Statehood soon after completion of the Assembly election in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Time and again Centre ministers’ is refusing to give any timeline for restoration of statehood, With this the Modi government at the centre is giving loud and clear message that it is not ready to consider grant of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir in near future. The BJP led centre government betrayal over its repeated commitments with regard to early restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir. The center also committed on the floor of the parliament, before the Supreme Court and in numerous public rallies by Prime Minister & Home Minister that its statehood will be restored soon , but the Union minister Rijiju’s statement is a clear indication of centre’s intentions not to honour it’s commitments to grant early statehood to J&K. It is also observed the Local 28 MLAs and two MPs of BJP not even dare to speak on restoration of statehood. Pertinent to mention here that BJP in its assembly election’s manifesto has also made clear for ‘No Statehood’ to J&K UT. Question arises who is telling lie and cheating the People’s of Jammu and Kashmir, it is either Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home minister Amit Shah or Union Minister Kiran Rijiju or Local BJP MLAs, MPs. However the J&K Congress has decided to launch a campaign ” Hamari Riyasat,Hamara Haq” for early restoration of statehood, called upon the people to be ready to fight for getting back their identity, dignity, status and rights as a state. By denying statehood to J&K UT, the BJP wanted to keep powers of the elected persons and govt with Lt Governor. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah repeated commitments for statehood only betrayed the faith of the people to keep people powerless. However, some powerful persons in the Central government and the IAS , IPS officers sent on deputation after 5th August, 2019 are not willing to restore statehood in its original form to J&K. They want to retain some vital departments with them included Home, Finance, Revenue General Administration. DGP J&K, IGPs Jammu amd Kashmir Zones which are the backbone and fountain head of any state and seek some amendments to keep these departments under their direct control. Such statehood is not acceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir included regional political parties. J&K residents, Opposition parties will not accept any amendment and will continue to press for restoration of full statehood to J&K as early as possible. When right from Parliament to Supreme Court and in public meetings during elections, the Prime Minister and Home minister reiterated the promise of restoration of statehood but are deliberately denying it without any reason. Pertinent to mention that the people of the state of Jammu and Kashmir were disenfranchised when the Parliament of India, through the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019, deprived the territory of its statehood. Under the Act, the erstwhile state of J&K was bifurcated into two Union Territories the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and of Ladakh. On the heels of the Presidential notification issued on 6 August 2019 under clause 3 of Article 370 of the Constitution, which empowers the President to cease or modify the operation of Article 370, the “special status” of J&K was de-operationalised. However Apart from assurance, the Supreme Court has not provided any other cogent reason to justify its hands-off approach. Paradoxically, the court did acknowledge security concerns in the territory of J&K and the denial of political rights, particularly the right to be represented by an elected government. More than one year have lapsed from the date of the judgment, and the government is yet to notify a date for restoration of its statehood. By not affording finality to the issue of restoration of state hood from union territory, the Supreme Court has denied the residents of J&K the vital right of governing by their elected representatives.
