The introduction of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Amendment Bill, 2025, empowering the Lieutenant Governor to remove any minister arrested or detained for 30 consecutive days on charges punishable with five years or more in prison, on the recommendation of the CM, has sent signals that the restoration of statehood is not on the Centre's immediate agenda. Instead, the amendment appears aimed at further strengthening the office of the Lieutenant Governor.
The proposed amendment fills a gap in the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which did not contain any provision for the removal of a Chief Minister or a minister arrested and held in custody on account of serious criminal charges.
The new bill states that once a minister is in custody for 30 consecutive days, the Chief Minister must advise the Lieutenant Governor to remove the person from office, and such advice must be tendered by the thirty-first day.
#WATCH | Copies of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025 torn and thrown towards HM Amit Shah in Lok Sabha. pic.twitter.com/x9CqjAausr
— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2025
The move comes against the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s observations on August 14, while hearing a plea on the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The apex court remarked that the situation in the Union Territory cannot be ignored in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, and underlined that the decision to restore statehood rests with the executive and Parliament.
The remarks prompted Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to launch a signature campaign across Jammu and Kashmir to mobilise public support for the demand for statehood before the next hearing in October.
The timing of the Bill is also significant. In the run-up to August 5, the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, there had been heightened speculation that the Centre was preparing to announce another major political move in Jammu and Kashmir.
Rumours ranged from the restoration of statehood to the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir—granting statehood to Jammu, along with parts of south Kashmir that fall under the Anantnag–Rajouri parliamentary constituency, while retaining the Valley as a Union Territory.
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However, the day passed without any surprises, easing the frayed nerves of many in the Valley, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The introduction of the new bill, instead of a statehood package, has reaffirmed the Centre’s preference for retaining a strong role for the Lieutenant Governor in the governance of Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha adopted a motion moved by the Home Minister to refer the J&K Reorganisation Amendment Bill, along with two other bills, to a Joint Committee of Parliament. The committee will undertake a clause-by-clause examination, consult experts, and conduct a comprehensive review before the bills are brought back for final passage.
