Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring in a law in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, offering renewed hope to the region’s leadership.

Rahul and Kharge also demanded legislation to bring the Union Territory of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides a degree of autonomy to specified tribal areas.

These demands came in a joint letter to Modi in which the two leaders of the Opposition — in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha — said Jammu and Kashmir’s downgrading into a Union Territory six years ago was without precedent.

“It is important to recognise that while there have been instances of Union Territories being granted statehood in the past, the case of Jammu and Kashmir is without precedent in independent India. This is the first time a full-fledged state has been downgraded to a Union Territory following its bifurcation,” they said.

Chief minister Omar Abdullah welcomed the letter, which comes at a time when the Valley leadership has been suffocating under the stranglehold of the lieutenant governor’s administration.

Its latest whiplash was felt when Omar, several of his ministers and MLAs and other senior ruling party and Opposition leaders were put under house arrest on July 13 to prevent them from visiting Srinagar’s “martyrs’ graveyard” and reviving the observance of Martyrs’ Day.

The lieutenant governor’s administration has scrapped the official July 13 holiday and informally banned the observance of Martyrs’ Day.

Rahul and Kharge reminded Modi of his promise to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. “Your goodself has, on multiple occasions, personally reiterated the government’s commitment to restoring statehood,” the letter read.

It highlighted at least two instances last year when Modi had promised to restore statehood — in an interview in Bhubaneshwar on May 19 and at a rally in Srinagar on September 19.

“The Union Government has made similar assurances before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the In Re: Article 370 matter, submitting that statehood would be restored at the earliest...,” the letter said. It added that inclusion under the Sixth Schedule would help address the cultural, developmental and political aspirations of the people of Ladakh and safeguard their rights, land and identity.

Omar thanked the Congress leadership. “It’s a very good thing. We have been waiting for this, when our voice will be raised by the Opposition in Parliament and Delhi. I am thankful to Khargeji and Rahul Gandhiji that they have raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood with the Centre,” he said in Srinagar.

He too reminded the Centre of its assurances about restoring statehood and said this should happen “at the earliest”. The letter is being seen as an indication that the INDIA bloc might raise the subject of statehood in the upcoming Parliament session.

“In view of the foregoing and aforementioned, we urge upon the government to bring forward a legislation in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament to grant full statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” the letter said.