New J&K govt's first task should be to demand restoration of statehood: Chidambaram

New Delhi, Oct 13: Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday said the first task before the new Jammu and Kashmir government should be to demand restoration of statehood and the INDIA bloc parties should support it.

He said that in case the government does not agree, then they should approach the court as the central government had promised restoration of statehood before the Supreme Court.

"After the election results in J-K and days before the new government will take office, the LG of J-K has taken powers to himself that mocks the verdict of the people," he said in a post on X.

"The first task of the new government should be to demand the restoration of statehood to J-K, and all the I.N.D.I.A. parties should support the demand.

"Failing a positive response, the new J-K government should not hesitate to approach the Supreme Court," Chidambaram said in his post.

"Recall that the Supreme Court was persuaded to not rule on the constitutionality of the reduction in the status of J&K because the central government undertook to restore statehood very quickly," he said.

"If the central government hesitates to do so, it will be a breach of its promise as well as amount to contempt of Court," the former Union minister said.