Only Parliament can restore J&K statehood, says L-G Manoj Sinha

Manoj Sinha.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha said on November 30 that only Parliament can restore the statehood of the Union Territory (UT).

Sinha also hinted that the Assembly polls will be held in Jammu and Kashmir once the ongoing delimitation process concludes.

Read: Investments in J&K expected to reach Rs 35,000 crore by December: Manoj Sinha

“Only Parliament can restore statehood. Both the prime minister and the home minister have spoken on this issue in detail in Parliament and to the country,” Sinha said on the sidelines of his interaction with industry, organised by the Jammu and Kashmir’s department of industries and commerce in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Kolkata.

“They (prime minister and home minister) have clearly stated that after the delimitation process concludes, polls will be held and statehood will be restored,” he said.

Only Parliament can restore statehood. Both PM and HM have spoken on this issue in detail in the Parliament and to the country. They have clearly stated that after the delimitation process concludes, polls will be held and statehood will be restored: J&K LG Manoj Sinha pic.twitter.com/LuYe66GZKb

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— ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2021

Sinha’s comments come 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.

“In these selective killings, the BJP leaders are being killed here or the non-Kashmiris or non-Muslims, even some Muslims are also being targeted. We are against every selective killing and no religion allows it,” BJP’s General Secretary (Organisation) Ashok Koul told reporters in Kashmir’s Bandipora area.

Also, read: Explained | Delimitation in J&K : Here is all you need to know about the exercise

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.

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 2018. 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.

So the people of J&K will be punished, by having our statehood withheld, because of the collective failure of the Union Government & the J&K administration? They fail to protect people, they fail to manage the security situation & the rest of us are punished. What an idea sir ji! https://t.co/x4IJtRoLlW

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) November 29, 2021

The demand of restoration of statehood has emerged once again as political parties start hitting the ground anticipating announcement of poll dates.