J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Accuses Centre of Delaying Statehood, Calls for Protest

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday accused the Centre of delaying the restoration of statehood to the region, saying that the government was using the phrase 'appropriate time' without defining it. He made the remarks while addressing a large gathering of National Conference workers at Naseem Bagh on the 26th death anniversary of Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah, wife of party founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah.

Mr. Abdullah said the Centre's stance contradicted its assurances before the Supreme Court, where it had committed to restoring statehood after delimitation and assembly elections. He alleged that despite completing these steps, the government was now linking statehood to political considerations. 'It seems we are being conveyed that without protest we will not get anything,' he said, noting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was willing to discuss special status for Ladakh under Article 371 but had not fulfilled its promise to Jammu and Kashmir.

The Chief Minister also criticized the delimitation exercise, describing it as politically motivated. 'Out of seven seats increased in J&K, six were won by the BJP and only one by the NC. We opted to gulp this poison. But J&K is now being punished on statehood status because people voted NC to power,' he claimed.

He called on all political parties in the region to join a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20, the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament. Mr. Abdullah warned that his party's patience should not be mistaken for weakness. He also accused the BJP of attempting to topple his government by offering money and ministerial positions to NC legislators, asserting that 'the conscience of our legislators is not on a cheap sale.'

The Supreme Court, in a landmark judgment in December 2023, upheld the abrogation of Article 370 but directed the Centre to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest. The Centre has maintained that it will restore statehood at an 'appropriate time,' without specifying a timeline. Mr. Abdullah's remarks come amid growing political tensions in the region over the delay.