Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday issued a strong warning to the Centre regarding the restoration of statehood. Addressing the BJP-led Union government, Abdullah asserted that the Centre should not mistake his patience for weakness. He further demanded absolute clarity on what was promised to his government regarding the restoration of statehood at an “appropriate time.”
Omar Abdullah Demands Clarity on Statehood
While addressing a party workers’ convention on the 26th death anniversary of his grandmother, Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah, the Chief Minister shared that the greatest lesson he learned from her was patience.”We must maintain patience, just as she did. However, patience is not the path of weakness; nor is it the path of silence,” Abdullah stated. He warned that the Centre cannot take unfair advantage of this decency or assume that the administration is weak.
He further argued that the National Conference’s success in the recent assembly elections seems to have become a punishment for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “Why have you not resolved the issue of statehood and allowed the elected government to function properly? What does the Centre gain from this? If this was the intent, you should not have conducted elections at all,” he argued.
Accusations of Direct Central Control Via LG
Abdullah accused the BJP-led central government of attempting to control governance in Jammu and Kashmir through the Lieutenant Governor. He alleged that the Centre is using the bureaucracy to bypass the elected mandate, leaving ministers to work under heavy constraints while trying to achieve results for the public. He claimed that the current system undermines the local administration, with key department files constantly left pending for the LG’s executive approval.
NC Plans Massive Protest at Jantar Mantar on July 20
To escalate the demand for immediate statehood, the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) has organized a peaceful sit-in protest march at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, scheduled for July 20 coinciding with the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. The National Conference leadership has reached out extensively to several national opposition parties and regional leaders, inviting them to join the demonstration against the Centre. Additionally, legislators and public representatives across party lines within Jammu and Kashmir have been urged to unite for the upcoming protest.
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