Atiya Mujeeb
Srinagar, Sept 28: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday approved a resolution moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah seeking the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The resolution was passed amid strong protests by BJP legislators, who raised objections during the discussion and disrupted proceedings as the House moved towards voting.
The resolution calls for the restoration of full statehood at the earliest. Omar Abdullah had introduced it during the ongoing autumn session of the Assembly.
The BJP opposed certain references included in the resolution to previous Assembly resolutions, particularly the 2000 autonomy resolution. The 2000 resolution had sought greater autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir and a return to its pre-1953 constitutional position, but was later rejected by the Union Cabinet.
BJP legislators argued that the present demand for restoration of statehood should be kept separate from the earlier autonomy issue.
The passage of the resolution followed heated exchanges between the ruling and opposition benches, with BJP members continuing their protests over its contents.
Members of the ruling National Conference supported the resolution as the government proceeded with the vote.
