Jammu and Kashmir will get statehood at appropriate time, Govt in Parliament

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The statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir would be restored at an appropriate time, the Centre told the Parliament on December 15.

The government also informed the House that a decision of the scheduled elections will be taken by the Election Commission of India.

“Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be granted at an appropriate time,”  Nityanand Rai, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs told Rajya Sabha in a written response to an unstarred question by Congress parliamentarian, Vivek K Tankha.

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The response assumes significance amid reports of holding elections and restoration of statehood to the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. The demand of restoration of statehood has emerged of late once again as political parties start hitting the ground anticipating the announcement of poll dates.

On August 5, 2019, the Centre abrogated Jammu and Kashmir’s special status granted by Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state in into Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

READ: National Conference MPs likely to attend J&K Delimitation Commission meeting

The member had asked whether there was a timeline to grant statehood to the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and whether there was a timeline to hold the state elections in the two Union Territories.

“The decision to schedule elections is the prerogative of the Election Commission of India,” the response said regarding the scheduled elections.

Earlier too, there were reports about the Centre considering restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir that has been under the Centre’s rule since June 2018 following the collapse of the coalition government headed by Mehbooba Mufti after the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew its support.

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But for that, the ongoing delimitation exercise – the process of carving out parliamentary and assembly seats – has to be completed. The delimitation commission has time till March next year to complete the exercise.

On November 30, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha said that only Parliament can restore the statehood of the Union Territory. Sinha also hinted that the Assembly polls will be held in Jammu and Kashmir once the ongoing delimitation process concludes.

Sinha’s comments came a day after the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP ) said that the Union Territory’s statehood will be restored once the selective killings end and the common people are able to move freely.