Chief minister Omar Abdullah has written to the presidents of major parties seeking their support to press the Centre to bring a law in the monsoon session of Parliament for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

The letter comes days after he expressed disappointment with INDIA ally Congress for deciding to go solo in its push for the restoration of statehood, claiming the national party never sought the support of the National Conference for it.

“I respectfully urge your kind indulgence in exhorting the government of India to bring forward legislation in the current session of Parliament to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir,” Omar said in the letter.

The Congress recently launched a campaign for the restoration of statehood, with the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and party president Mallikarjun Kharge writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him not to delay it further.

Speculation was rife in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, with many suggesting Delhi would either restore statehood to the Union Territory or carve out a separate Jammu state. No such decision was taken.

In his letter, Omar said the restoration of statehood was not a concession but a course correction by the central government. Speaking to reporters here, he asked the Supreme Court to intervene if no decision is taken in Parliament, reflecting his frustration over the delay.

“The very idea of India is undermined if statehood, which is a foundational and constitutional right, is reduced to the discretionary favour of the central government,” the letter said.

Omar reminded the leaders that the precedent of downgrading a state to a Union Territory will have unsettling consequences for the country, and it is a red line that must never be crossed. He said it was a matter that should concern every citizen, not just the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“It is an issue that goes beyond regional interests and touches the very core of India’s constitutional values and its democratic ethos,” the letter said. Omar also spoke about the people of Jammu and Kashmir reposing faith in democracy after an overwhelming participation in the Assembly polls, and rising against militancy after the Pahalgam attack.