Wishing Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday reiterated his demand to restore statehood, saying all they have received so far on the matter were verbal assurances.
Abdullah Calls for Intensified Statehood Campaign
In July, Abdullah announced a renewed effort to restore statehood, stating that the National Conference had reached the limits of its patience. He indicated that the movement would now escalate, with plans to take their demands directly to the national capital, as reported by the news agency PTI.
“Even in Parliament and in the Supreme Court, this assurance was given. “We are seeking the base i.e statehood from this government. In December 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the Centre’s decision to revoke the special status and create the two UTs but told the government to restore J&K’s statehood as soon as possible. And Article 370 ( restoration) is meaningless without statehood,” Omar said at a press conference after he and party leaders’ returned from Delhi following a protest seeking restoration of J&K’s statehood.
in which people participated, statehood has not been restored even till now,” he said While we saw delimitation and elections in J&K.
Abdullah said, when asked about what announcement he expected today, news agency PTI reported. We did not get anything in writing, and we are at the same place today. “What can I say as to what he (Modi) does… If nothing else, let him grant us statehood; what else could we want? “Hence, I suggest to people and friends in Ladakh not to trust the Centre’s words… Rather, have them in writing.
J&K has been a victim of the Centre’s verbal assurances,” Abdullah said. Abdullah said that the Centre had outlined a three-step process – delimitation, Assembly elections and the restoration of statehood.
