Citing the said news report, various political parties denounced the move. The NC manifesto had promised that the J&K legislative assembly, in its first list of business after elections, will pass a resolution against the Centre’s August 5, 2019 decision to strip the region of its statehood and special status.

“Omar Abdullah’s first resolution on statehood is nothing less than ratification of the August 5th, 2019 decision. No resolution on Article 370 and scaling down the demand to mere statehood is a huge setback, especially after seeking votes on the promise of restoring Article 370,” Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youth wing chief Waheed ur Rehman Parra, who won the recent polls from Pulwama, posted on X.

The Union government in August 2019 abrogated Articles 370 and 35A of the Constitution of India which provided special status to J&K. The Centre also bifurcated the erstwhile state into two UTs of J&K, and Ladakh.

The government’s decision to revoke Article 370 was solidified by the Supreme Court, which on December 11, 2023, upheld the move.

People’s Conference (PC) chief Sajad Gani Lone wondered why the reported resolution was “shrouded in mystery and secrecy that only one newspaper publishes it”.

“I hope the CS (chief secretary) of J and K has notified it as is the protocol. And I very humbly state that the will of the people of J and K is reflected in the Assembly and not in the cabinet. The cabinet is a majoritarian institution of governance,” Lone, who won from Handwara seat, posted on X. “It does not reflect all shades and opinions according to the will of the people of J and K.”

Stating that to the best of his knowledge, the assembly is the proper institution all across the country for addressing major issues like that of statehood or Article 370, Lone added he would have loved to see which way the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other parties vote on statehood and on Article 370 resolution when it is presented in the assembly.

Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chief Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, told reporters that there are reports that a resolution has been passed to seek restoration of the statehood. “It is his right to pass anything. But we want to remind Abdullah that you contested the election on Articles 370 and 35A and statehood. So, these reports that only a resolution on statehood has been passed is very painful. It means a departure from the principled stand of his party,” he said at a press conference.

Rashid added the development suggests that Abdullah, who is also the NC vice-president, is “playing into the hands of the BJP” and pointed out that PM Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah have promised the restoration of statehood a number of times. “So why is Omar seeking the same thing?... It means he is not ready to talk about (Articles) 370 and 35A,” Rashid said.

Senior BJP leader Tarun Chugh downplayed the significance of the reported move, saying PM Modi has already promised restoration of statehood. “Omar Abdullah is trying to politicise this issue,” he told the reporters.

No leaders from the NC made any comment on the reported resolution. On Thursday, shortly after the apex court agreed to hear a plea seeking a time-bound restoration of statehood to J&K, NC president Farooq Abdullah had expressed hope that the Centre would soon restore the statehood to J&K.

“We have raised the issue of (restoration of) statehood before as well. Today, the Supreme Court has said it will be listed soon. I am hopeful that the Government of India will soon restore the statehood,” the senior Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar.