Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday criticised the BJP-led central government over what he described as its “unfulfilled promise” to restore statehood to the Union Territory, saying there has been no clarity or timeline on the issue.
Addressing a public rally in the Nowshera border area of Rajouri district, Abdullah questioned repeated assurances from the Centre that statehood would be restored “at the right time.”
“There is still no clear answer on the restoration of statehood. They keep saying ‘at the right time’. What does that mean? I keep asking them to specify it,” he said.
The chief minister said promises made in Parliament, the Supreme Court, election rallies, and public speeches appeared to lack consistency. “If you have given your word, does it not carry value? Should we take such promises lightly?” he asked.
Urging the Centre to provide a defined roadmap, Abdullah said clarity was essential for governance and public expectation. “Just like students are told what they need to achieve to pass or secure a distinction, tell us what conditions must be met so we can work towards them,” he said.
Reiterating that his government was delivering on its commitments, Abdullah said the restoration of statehood was a mandate given by the people across party lines. “People voted with the hope that the perceived injustice with Jammu and Kashmir would be addressed. Whether they voted for Congress, National Conference, BJP or others, the expectation was the same,” he said.
He added that downgrading the erstwhile state to a Union Territory had been widely perceived as punitive. “Turning a state into a Union Territory felt like punishment,” he said.
Referring to the BJP’s stated sequence of events, Abdullah said the party had earlier linked delimitation, elections and restoration of statehood in a three-step process. “They said delimitation would happen first, then elections, and then statehood would be restored,” he said.
He noted that both parliamentary and assembly elections had already been conducted in 2024. “Delimitation happened, elections were held, and now more than a year and a half has passed. We are asking where that promise stands,” he said.
The chief minister also raised concerns over the implementation of women’s reservation legislation, alleging inconsistencies in the process and questioning the necessity of delimitation without a census.
Referring to the recent delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir, he alleged it had political implications. “Seven new seats were created, six of which went to the BJP. It is evident how delimitation was carried out,” he said.
However, he added that electoral outcomes did not fully align with such designs. “By the grace of the Almighty, their plans did not entirely succeed, as candidates like Surender Chaudhary won and such attempts were defeated,” he said.
Abdullah said his party would continue to raise these issues. “We will keep questioning them. And when we do, they are not comfortable with it,” he added.
(With inputs from PTI)