Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the government to introduce legislation in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and to include Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
In his letter, Gandhi emphasized that the demand for statehood in Jammu and Kashmir is both legitimate and rooted in constitutional and democratic rights. He noted that this is the first time in India’s history that a full-fledged state was downgraded to a Union Territory, following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 and the bifurcation of the region into two Union Territories.
“We urge upon the Government to bring forward legislation in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament to grant full statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” Gandhi wrote.
Citing PM Modi’s own previous statements, Rahul Gandhi pointed out that the Prime Minister had publicly committed to restoring J&K’s statehood on multiple occasions. These include Modi’s interview in Bhubaneswar in May 2024 and a rally in Srinagar in September 2024, where he reaffirmed the government’s intention to restore statehood.
In addition to the J&K issue, Gandhi also called on the government to bring legislation that would place Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides autonomy and special rights to tribal areas.
“This would be a significant step towards addressing the cultural, developmental, and political aspirations of the people of Ladakh, while safeguarding their rights, land, and identity,” the letter read.
The Sixth Schedule currently applies to certain tribal regions in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, and allows for the creation of Autonomous District Councils to govern these areas.
Rahul Gandhi’s appeal comes ahead of a session in which the government is expected to table several key bills, and amid ongoing political debate over the constitutional and administrative status of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
