Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday announced a fresh phase of protests against the Centre from 20 July over the “unexplained delay” in restoring statehood to the Union Territory.
Addressing a public rally in Jammu, Abdullah said the National Conference (NC) had waited for nearly two years after the Assembly election in the hope that the Centre would fulfil its promise to restore statehood.
“We have given the Central government enough time. For nearly two years, we pursued talks for the restoration of statehood. Now we will adopt a new strategy,” Abdullah said.
Questioning the Centre’s repeated assertion that statehood would be restored at an “appropriate time”, the chief minister asked what constituted such a time and whether it meant the BJP coming to power in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The BJP leaders are making statements against NC’s Jantar Mantar protest and saying that we will not get the statehood by doing this protest…If not in Delhi, then where?” he asked.
“If decisions concerning a part of our own country cannot be taken in our own national capital, where are they supposed to be taken?” he added.
Abdullah accused the BJP of consistently undermining the NC’s efforts to demand statehood, whether through protests in Jammu and Kashmir, in the Assembly or in the national capital.
“So what do they expect us to do? Should we go to America and protest outside the White House to seek Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood? We are only asking for a promise made in our own country to be honoured in our own country’s capital,” he said.
The NC leader accused the BJP of using the issue of statehood as a political instrument rather than fulfilling what he described as a constitutional commitment.
“If it is Modi’s promise made on the soil of Katra, then it should be honoured,” Abdullah said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to restore statehood.
He also cited the Supreme Court’s call for the restoration of statehood “as soon as possible” after the completion of the electoral process.
“Those are not my words; they are the words of the Supreme Court,” he said.
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