J&K statehood restoration soon? Speculation grows after Modi-Shah-Murmu meetings
What's the story
Speculation is rife about the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) after back-to-back meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and President Droupadi Murmu. The meetings come just days ahead of the anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5. On August 3, PM Modi and President Murmu met at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The details of the meeting were not made known.
Political discussions
Shah meets President Murmu
Later, Shah also met President Murmu. On August 1 and 2, Shah had also met J&K BJP chief Sat Sharma and former Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Kavinder Gupta. On Monday, All J&K Shia Association president Imran Raza Ansari also met Shah to discuss local issues in the Union Territory. These high-profile meetings have led to speculation that a legislation for granting statehood to J&K may be on the cards.
Social media buzz
Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon, Arti Tikoo Singh tweet
The speculation has taken social media by storm, with retired Army officer and author Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon weighing in on the matter. He tweeted, "The peace in Kashmir has come about at a great cost of human lives...we should not rush into any hasty decision...As the consolidation phase for restoration of peace is going on—let's not jump the gun." Geopolitical analyst Arti Tikoo Singh also weighed in, saying rumors suggest Kashmir and Jammu may be separated into two states.
Ongoing discussions
'Rumor mills suggesting J&K will be reorganized into 2 states'
"What's even more bizarre is that rumor mills are suggesting that Kashmir and Jammu will be separated and reorganized into two separate states. If either is true, nothing could be more disastrous," she wrote. The demand for restoring J&K's statehood has been a topic of discussion since the region was bifurcated into two Union Territories in 2019. Both PM Modi and Shah have promised restoration on several occasions, but no timeline has been given.
Election speculation
Fresh elections may be required
In December 2023, the Supreme Court directed that J&K's statehood be restored "at the earliest." However, no decision has yet been taken by the government. There are also rumors that granting statehood to J&K may require fresh elections, as the previous polls were held when it was a Union Territory. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had said in June he wouldn't mind if the Assembly was dissolved and fresh elections were held after statehood restoration.