SRINAGAR: As National Conference govt completes six months in office on Wednesday, chief minister Omar Abdullah said it was now time to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Six months have passed since the assembly elections were held, and we feel the right time has come (to restore statehood),” Omar said on Tuesday during the inauguration of a bridge in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
The CM mentioned that he had a separate meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah during the latter’s visit to J&K recently. “It was a good meeting. I am still hopeful that very soon, J&K will get its statehood back,” he said.
NC’s chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq echoed Omar, saying: “We feel it is time the central govt should fulfil its promise of restoration of statehood to J&K by coming up with an ordinance. We are very hopeful.”
Omar took oath as the CM of the Union Territory of J&K on Oct 16, 2024, following the victory of National Conference in the first assembly election held after the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the J&K state into two UTs. The first cabinet meeting held a day later, on Oct 17, passed a resolution for “restoration of statehood in its original form”.
“The restoration of statehood will be a beginning of a healing process, reclaiming the constitutional rights and protecting the identity of people of Jammu and Kashmir,” the resolution stated.
Though opposition PDP and some others rejected the resolution, calling it “nothing less than ratification of the Aug 5, 2019 decision,” NC govt has persisted with the demand for restoring J&K’s status as a full-fledged state. The CM subsequently visited Delhi, and raised the issue during his meetings with PM Narendra Modi and Shah.
