In a strongly worded joint letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leaders of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have urged the central government to immediately restore full statehood to Jammu Kashmir and to grant Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh.
The letter, dated July 16, states that the people of Jammu Kashmir have consistently called for the restoration of statehood over the past five years—a demand the Opposition leaders described as “legitimate and firmly grounded in their constitutional and democratic rights.”
Highlighting the unique case of Jammu and Kashmir, the letter reads: “This is the first time a full-fledged state has been downgraded to a Union Territory following its bifurcation. This has no precedent in independent India.”
The leaders reminded the Prime Minister of his own commitments made on multiple occasions. They cited Modi’s interview in Bhubaneswar on May 19, 2024, where he reportedly said, “The restoration of statehood is a solemn promise we have made and we stand by it.” They also referred to his speech in Srinagar on September 19, 2024, where he reaffirmed, “We have said in Parliament that we will restore the region’s statehood.”
Furthermore, the letter noted that the Union Government had made similar submissions before the Supreme Court during the hearings on Article 370, promising that statehood would be restored “at the earliest and as soon as possible.”
“In view of the foregoing,” the letter urges, “we urge upon the Government to bring forward a legislation in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament to grant full statehood to the Jammu Kashmir.”
The Opposition leaders also pressed for constitutional safeguards for Ladakh. They asked the government to introduce legislation placing the Union Territory of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, calling it a crucial step to “address the cultural, developmental, and political aspirations of the people of Ladakh, while safeguarding their rights, land, and identity.”
The letter bears the signatures of Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, and Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
This renewed push comes ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament and signals a coordinated effort by the Opposition to spotlight Kashmir and Ladakh’s political future on the national stage.