Patna, October 18, 2025 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said the restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir will take place at an “appropriate time”, and promised a “good resolution” to demands raised by people of Ladakh, while highlighting security gains in the Union Territory since 2019.
Speaking at a media conclave organised by ABP News and Hindustan in Patna, Shah defended the Centre’s actions after the abrogation of Article 370, saying the move has produced a “qualitative change” in the security situation in J&K. He claimed that no local terrorist has been recruited in the last nine months, and that separatism — which he said had been entrenched since the 1990s — is now losing hold.
“Earlier, Pakistan felt no need to send terrorists from across the border. They used to place arms in the hands of our children. Now the situation has changed. The people of Jammu and Kashmir feel they belong to the entire country and the entire country belongs to them,” Shah said.
He pointed to the restoration of democratic processes as evidence of progress: panchayat and municipal polls, state legislative assembly elections, and the impending Rajya Sabha polls in the Union Territory.
When asked about Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s public complaint that statehood had not been restored within the first year of his government, Shah said that Abdullah’s comments may reflect “political compulsions” but reiterated the Centre’s position: statehood will be restored after consultations and at an appropriate time.
On Ladakh, Shah said the Union government is engaged in talks with local representatives — the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance — and asked residents to be patient, promising a “good resolution” of legitimate demands.
Asked about Sonam Wangchuk, the detained activist accused of inciting protests in Ladakh, Shah declined to comment on the merits of the case, saying it is sub judice and must be decided by the courts on the basis of evidence.
Shah also described the government’s campaign against Maoist insurgency as “ruthless,” claiming major operational successes: the destruction of camps, disruption of finances, and blockade of weapons flow. He asserted the government’s aim to eradicate Maoism by December 31, 2026.
The Home Minister’s remarks reaffirm the Centre’s stance that security and institutional measures taken since 2019 have created the conditions for political restoration — but offered no firm timetable for when statehood will be reinstated, leaving a key demand of many in J&K politically unresolved for now.
