Srinagar, Feb 18: Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Meghwal on Tuesday said that statehood for Jammu and Kashmir would be restored soon, prompting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to express hope that the wait would not be too long.
After attending a function at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) here, Meghwal told reporters that while the matter is “very sensitive,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah had stated in the Lok Sabha that J&K’s statehood would eventually be restored.
“You will get it, but there is a process for it. I feel you will soon hear a decision in this regard,” Meghwal said.
Reacting to the minister’s comment, CM Omar said, “I heard on the sidelines that we will be hearing good news soon. It has been one and a half years of waiting. We hope we do not have to wait much longer.”
He added that no one in Jammu and Kashmir will be satisfied until statehood is fully restored. “The process is ongoing, though it is taking longer than expected. We were hoping to get it by now, but we have not. We have not given up hope and are continuously engaging with the Centre on this matter,” he said.
Earlier, on February 13, 2021, Home Minister Shah had stated in the Lok Sabha that Jammu and Kashmir’s Union Territory status was temporary and its statehood would be reinstated.
On August 5, 2019, the Centre abrogated Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and reorganized the region into two union territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. (Agency)
