New Delhi

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal referred to Jammu and Kashmir’s shift from a state to a Union Territory as a constitutional misdemeanour and emphasized the need to restore its statehood. In 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was reorganized into two Union Territories, and Sibal criticized this change, stating it was wrong for the Supreme Court not to address the issue. He expressed on X that restoring statehood is the constitutional right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Sibal’s comments followed the swearing-in of National Conference leader Omar Abdullah as Chief Minister, marking the first elected government in the Union Territory since 2019 when its special status was revoked. The oath ceremony took place at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar, administered by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Saxena.

Additionally, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear an application seeking the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood within two months. Advocate Gopal Shankarnarayan requested urgent consideration, and Chief Justice DY Chandrachud confirmed that the case would be listed for hearing. Following the ceremony, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, stated that the formation of a government without statehood felt incomplete.