Indian-administered Kashmir assembly backs return to statehood

Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the countries gained independence from British rule in 1947.(AFP) — The regional assembly in Indian-administered Kashmir endorsed the restoration of statehood Monday in a nonbinding resolution that politicians from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party condemned as “anti-national.”The vote is the latest development in a contentious debate over how the Himalayan territory of about 13 million people should be governed since Modi’s Hindu nationalist government revoked Kashmir’s limited autonomy in 2019.Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who introduced the resolution, said statehood was the territory’s “right.”Members of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party staged a walkout before the vote, with many calling the resolution “unconstitutional” and “anti-national.”The resolution calls on the government in New Delhi, which has repeatedly promised to restore statehood at an “appropriate time,” to ensure “the immediate and urgent restoration of full (federal) statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.”It also cites resolutions calling for autonomy that were passed in 2000 and 2024. None of the three resolutions is constitutionally binding.In 2024, Kashmir elected its first government since it was brought under New Delhi’s direct control. Abdullah’s National Conference party leads that government, but it has limited powers. A New Delhi-appointed administrator retains substantial authority over the territory.Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the countries gained independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in full, and the nuclear-armed neighbors have fought over it several times, most recently in 2025.Rebel groups launched an insurgency against Indian rule in Kashmir in 1989, seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan. About 500,000 Indian troops are deployed in the region, and the insurgency has been largely crushed.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads