SRINAGAR: The BJP has rejected rumours that partial statehood to J&K was being restored or Jammu was being split from Kashmir and granted statehood while the Valley would remain a Union Territory, asserting that there would be no early restoration of statehood.
“There is no truth in speculation that J&K will be further split and statehood will be restored to Jammu and Valley will be a UT without legislature. This is just a rumour and grapevine and nothing else,” a senior J&K BJP leader, who is close to the power corridor, said.
He said Jammu and Kashmir are connected to each other and there is no question of splitting Jammu from Kashmir and granting statehood to it.
“In the national interest, J&K was bifurcated and divided into two UTs on August 5, 2019. The purpose for which Article 370 was abrogated and J&K split into two UTs is being served so there is no need for further split of Jammu and Kashmir,” the BJP leader said.
The BJP leader also rejected speculation of J&K being granted partial statehood saying, “Either it has to be full statehood or UT. There is no partial statehood.”
In response to a question, the BJP leader said in view of the security situation, especially after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 25 tourists and a local ponywala were killed, there would be no immediate restoration of statehood.
“The restoration of statehood would take time. It will be restored at an appropriate time,” he said.
With nothing happening on August 5, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on X, "Told you! Now I hope all the rumour mongers & WhatsApp University PhD holders who see a conspiracy lurking behind the sound of every plane flying & every routine troop deployment can breathe easy & give the rest of us a break from all your needless speculation."
The separate meetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah with President Droupadi Murmu led to speculations in Jammu and Kashmir that something related to J&K was going to happen.
As these meetings had taken place a few days before the sixth anniversary of Article 370 abrogation and the downgrading and bifurcation of the erstwhile J&K state into two Union Territories, the rumour mills began spreading thick and fast.
It led to speculations that either partial statehood would be restored to J&K or J&K would be further bifurcated with Jammu granted statehood and Kashmir remaining a Union Territory without an Assembly. It caused unease among the people and Valley-based politicians, with everybody guessing what the Centre was up to this time.
“Exactly six years ago, ominous clouds of uncertainty hung over Kashmir on 4th August 2019. Since a week now, hushed whispers suggest something drastic yet again is in the offing. Insinuations dressed in metaphors & dark humour. ‘Dapaan’ at the beginning of every sentence,” PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti posted on X.
In response to the rumour mills, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he has heard every possible permutation & combination about what to expect in J&K.
“So let me stick my neck out and say nothing will happen tomorrow - fortunately, nothing bad will happen but unfortunately nothing positive will happen either. I’m still optimistic about something positive for J&K in this monsoon session of Parliament but not tomorrow. And no, I haven’t had any meetings or conversations with people in Delhi. This is just a gut feeling. Let’s see this time tomorrow,” Omar posted on X.