Srinagar, September 26: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary has said that the demand for restoration of statehood belongs to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and should not be viewed as an issue raised solely by the National Conference or the present government.

Choudhary made the statement while speaking to reporters amid a heated exchange in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly over a resolution seeking the restoration of full statehood to the Union Territory.

The Deputy Chief Minister criticised BJP legislators for disrupting the proceedings, saying the Opposition should have participated in a discussion on the resolution rather than preventing the House from functioning.

Referring to the Centre's earlier position on the issue, Choudhary said there had been an indication that statehood would be restored after delimitation and elections were completed in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the delimitation exercise had been completed and elections had also taken place, but the restoration of statehood was still pending.

According to Choudhary, the government brought the resolution before the Assembly to reiterate the demand and draw attention to the commitments made by the Union Government regarding the restoration of statehood.

He said the issue was also part of the political commitments made by the National Conference and its leadership during the Assembly election campaign.

However, Choudhary stressed that the demand extends beyond any individual party or government. He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir have a broader stake in the restoration of the region's former status.

He also called for an open discussion in the Assembly on statehood and related issues, questioning the BJP's objections to such a debate.

The remarks came after the Assembly witnessed sharp exchanges between members of the ruling alliance and the BJP following the introduction of the statehood resolution by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

The resolution called for the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and referred to earlier resolutions passed by the Assembly. The inclusion of a reference to the 2000 autonomy resolution triggered strong objections from BJP legislators.

BJP members protested against the reference, while ruling alliance members defended the resolution. The disagreement led to disruption of proceedings in the House.

Restoration of statehood has remained a significant political issue in Jammu and Kashmir since the constitutional changes introduced in August 2019, which were followed by the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories.

The issue is expected to remain part of the political debate during the ongoing Assembly session.