In a scathing attack on the BJP, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday accused the saffron party of delaying and opposing the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir because they lost the assembly elections.
Interacting with reporters in Srinagar, the chief minister pointed out that people participated in the poll process and it is the bad luck of the BJP that it couldn’t win. People of J&K can’t be punished for the loss of the BJP. “It seems as if statehood is not being granted to J&K since the BJP was unable to form the government. It is unfair to people. It was not stated that statehood will be restored only if the results went in favour of BJP. The Opposition to statehood is coming from the BJP,” he added.
Omar Abdullah further said that the delay in the restoration of statehood was the biggest challenge before J&K. Statehood has not been restored despite the Centre telling the Supreme Court about its 3-step process of delimitation, elections, and statehood. The first two steps have been completed but the implementation of the third is being delayed.
Referring to the continued dip in tourism after the Pahalgam terror attack, he said he was hoping that tourism would pick up again in Kashmir. “We were hoping for an influx of tourists during the Pooja holidays in West Bengal and other places, but that has not happened.”
Replying to a question about the arrests in various parts of the country in connection with the “I Love Muhammad” slogan row, Omar said that “someone had to be mentally ill to make a case over the issue”. “Why would anyone object to it? I don’t understand how writing these three words leads to people getting arrested? Don’t people from other religions write about their gods? If that is not illegal, how is this being dubbed as illegal,” Omar asked.
Meanwhile reacting to the violent protests in Leh for statehood, Omar wrote on X; “Ladakh wasn’t even promised Statehood, they celebrated UT status in 2019 & they feel betrayed & angry. Now try to imagine how betrayed & disappointed we in J&K feel when the promise of statehood to J&K remains unfulfilled even though we have gone about demanding it democratically, peacefully & responsibly.”
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti shared on X a video of violence in Leh and wrote; “It’s time the Government of India undertakes a sincere and thorough appraisal of what has truly changed since 2019. This video isn’t from the Kashmir Valley, considered the epicentre of unrest but from the heart of Ladakh, where angry protesters have set police vehicles and a BJP office on fire. Leh, a region long known for its peaceful and measured protests, is now witnessing a disturbing shift toward violent demonstrations. People seem to have lost patience , feel betrayed, insecure, and let down by unfulfilled promises. It is imperative that the Government move beyond day to day crisis management and address the root causes of this discontent urgently and transparently.”