Jammu and Kashmir does not need a toothless CM: Statehood petitioner

As Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition seeking restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir, petitioner Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, meanwhile, said statehood was the right of people of Jammu and Kashmir as representatives should be able to make laws and work for their people after elections.
Bhat, a political science lecturer, who is one of the two petitioners from central Kashmir’s Budgam district, said that people did not want a “toothless” chief minister (CM) and representatives in Jammu and Kashmir owing to a UT. The other petitioner is Khurshid Malik, an activist, who has done an MTech degree.
“In the Article 370 judgement, SC had given directions for holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30. It had also directed for restoration of statehood as early as possible. We have approached the SC again for the restoration of statehood,” Bhat said.
Bhat, 33, has qualified NET with PhD in political science and also has a LLB degree. He is a lecturer with the higher education department. He was also one of the petitioners against the revocation of Article 370 and was briefly suspended in August 2023 by J&K administration after he had appeared before the Supreme Court during hearings. On SC intervention, his suspension was later revoked.
“We were insisting on restoration of Article 370 and when that was not done, at least the statehood needs to be restored. We were the petitioners when SC had said that statehood needs to be restored but the government is not doing it. In that context we seek the restoration of statehood as immediately as possible,” Bhat said.
The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday agreed to hear the application seeking direction for restoration of the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir within two months. The development comes just a day after Jammu and Kashmir union territory’s new government led by Omar Abdullah took oath.
“People have chosen their representatives and they will be able to work only when statehood is restored, otherwise there are talks that they will be toothless tigers,” Bhat said.
Bhat was closely associated with the election process as he was deputed to train presiding officers for smooth conduct of the assembly elections.
“In a state people get their rights and their representatives are able to work. They can make laws for their people. It is the constitutional right of the people of this region. It is also the judgement of SC that statehood be restored,” he said.
In August 2019, Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 was revoked by parliament and the state was split and downgraded to the union territories of J&K with a legislature and Ladakh without one. In December 2023, the SC had upheld the decision to abrogate Article 370 and had directed the Election Commission of India to hold Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections by September, 2024.
The elections were held in three phases till October 1 and Jammu and Kashmir’s new government was formed on October 16 with National Conference leader Omar Abdullah as chief minister along with his five member cabinet.
“We wanted to invoke the attention of SC to implement its own judgement and restore the original statehood of J&K. The original in the sense that it is proper statehood not a ‘dummy’ or ‘toothless’ state or where the CM has no powers,” Bhat said.
The petition had been filed on October 6 after elections had ended in J&K and today there was mention of the case being heard.
“I am an academician teaching political science and I am a law graduate as well. That is why I am aware of my rights to be a citizen of this country and what the constitution guarantees me. That is the only thing which invokes you to invoke the jurisdiction of SC to get your rights protected,” Bhat said.