Srinagar

Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Meghwal on Tuesday said a decision on restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be taken soon, drawing a cautious but hopeful response from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Speaking to reporters after attending a function at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Meghwal described the issue as “very sensitive” and recalled that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already assured Parliament about the restoration of statehood.

“You will get it, but there is a process. I feel you will soon get to hear about a decision in this regard,” Meghwal said, referring to Shah’s statement in the Lok Sabha that Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood would be restored.

Reacting to the remarks, Omar Abdullah, who was also present at the function, said he had heard that “good news” could be expected soon. “It has been one and a half years of wait. We hope we do not have to wait much longer,” he told reporters.

The Chief Minister said the people of Jammu and Kashmir would not be fully satisfied until statehood is restored. “The process is on, though it is taking longer. We were expecting it by now, but it has not happened yet. We have not given up hope and are continuously engaging with the Centre on the matter,” he added.

Shah had told the Lok Sabha on February 13, 2021, that Jammu and Kashmir’s Union territory status was temporary and that statehood would be reinstated at an appropriate time.

On August 5, 2019, the Centre abrogated Article 370, which had accorded special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and reorganised it into two Union territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.