New Delhi, Oct 17: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Thursday criticized the decision to downgrade Jammu and Kashmir to a Union Territory, calling it a “constitutional misdemeanour,” and emphasized the need to restore its statehood.
Sibal’s remarks came a day after National Conference leader Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, heading the first elected government in the Union Territory since its special status was revoked in 2019. Abdullah, 54, took the oath along with five other ministers, three from Jammu and two from the Kashmir Valley.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sibal stated, “It was a constitutional misdemeanour to have reduced the state of J&K to a Union Territory. It was wrong for the Supreme Court not to have decided that issue.” He further asserted, “Time to restore statehood. This is the constitutional right of the people of J&K.”
The oath of office and secrecy was administered to Abdullah and his ministers by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha at a ceremony held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre on the banks of Dal Lake, marking a significant moment in Jammu and Kashmir’s political history.
