India's Opposition Turns Up the Heat, Demands Full Statehood for J&K in Monsoon Session

Leaders of Opposition in both Houses of Indian Parliament—Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi—have written jointly to the world's largest democracy's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They have urged the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.

The letter, dated July 16, underscores what the opposition calls an “unprecedented rollback of constitutional rights,” referring to the 2019 bifurcation of the erstwhile state into Union Territories. 

Image Source: Ashvin A Kumar on X

It marks the first formal push in the current session to hold the government accountable for a promise repeatedly made—but not yet fulfilled.

“This is not just a political demand; it is a constitutional necessity,” the leaders asserted, citing PM Modi’s own words in Bhubaneswar and Srinagar in 2024, where he promised the restoration of statehood “at the earliest.” 

The duo reminded the government that similar commitments were made by the Centre before the Supreme Court during hearings on Article 370 last year.

The timing of this appeal is politically charged. Just months after the Pahalgam terror attack exposed deep cracks in India’s internal security, the opposition is spotlighting governance deficits and demanding democratic restitution.

While Operation Sindoor targeted cross-border terror hubs post the April massacre, the killers remain at large. Public frustration is mounting not only over security lapses but the long-stalled promise of political representation.

In a significant addition, the opposition also urged the Centre to grant constitutional protection under the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh, safeguarding the region’s land, identity, and cultural rights.

The Narendra Modi government now finds itself facing a pointed demand: fulfil the pledge, legislate the return of democracy—or brace for national scrutiny.