Statehood to J&K at appropriate time: Govt tells Rajya Sabha

New Delhi, Dec 15: Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir will be granted at an appropriate time, Minister of State for Home Nityananda Rai has said.

The written reply was filed by Rai to a query on whether there is a timeline to grant statehood to the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Earlier this year too Rai had informed the Parliament that statehood would be restored soon.

"In view of the constitutional changes and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of the Jammu and Kashmir into Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union territory of Ladakh, in national interest and also in the interest of security of J&K, temporary restrictions on various communication channels like internet and mobile services were resorted to in Jammu and Kashmir," the minister had stated in July.

Subsequently, the matter "was reviewed from time to time and restrictions imposed were gradually eased out in a phased manner and 4G internet data services were restored in the entire Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir from February 5, he had also said.

The Centre had revoked the special status of the erstwhile state that was provided to it under Article 370 and bifurcated it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in 2019.

(WIth PTI inputs)