SUHAIL KHAN
 
JAMMU, FEBRUARY 2: Ahead of the Union Budget, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Monday tied the demand for a “special economic package” for the Union Territory to the restoration of full statehood, reminding the BJP of its pre-poll commitment on the issue.
 
Choudhary’s statement in the Assembly on the opening day of the Budget Session has pushed the political demand for statehood back into the spotlight, effectively turning the financial exercise into a political litmus test for the Centre.
 
“The BJP people themselves had promised that as soon as the elections are over, statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir. The elections are over, normalcy prevails… So the time has come. So why is statehood not being restored?” Choudhary said, as per Kashmir Convener.
 
He said that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently held a “high-level” discussion with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. While withholding details, he indicated that the outcome would become evident soon.
 
“Once the Budget is presented, everything will become clear. You will see the full result,” he said.
 
Choudhary stressed that the National Conference-led government has consistently raised the twin demands of a special economic package and the reinstatement of statehood.
 
Highlighting the urgent need for economic revival, he said J&K has grappled with “severe unemployment” over the past 11 years, a situation aggravated by successive crises—including the devastating 2014 floods, operational challenges, and the tourism downturn following the 2019 Pulwama attack.
 
A “comprehensive package,” he argued, is crucial to enable people to “stand on their feet.”
 
Jammu and Kashmir’s special status was revoked under Article 370 in August 2019, and the former state was bifurcated into the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh. At the time, Union Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament that statehood would be restored at an “appropriate time” after normalcy was achieved. Assembly elections were conducted in J&K last year after a gap of several years.
 
The Deputy CM’s remarks indicate that the ruling party intends to leverage the Budget session to keep the statehood demand politically salient, nudging the Centre to act on what the J&K coalition government perceives as long-pending assurances.
 
Notably, on Republic Day, Deputy CM Choudhary had expressed hope that J&K’s statehood would be reinstated soon, reiterating the commitment made by the Prime Minister. Speaking at the Republic Day function at Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium, he said he was optimistic the UT would regain its former status, as envisioned by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.