Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah intensified his criticism of the Central government over the continued delay in restoring statehood to the Union Territory, declaring that the patience of the people was running out. Addressing a public rally in Jammu, Abdullah questioned whether he should approach United States President Donald Trump after repeated demands for statehood within the country failed to produce results.
Referring to comments attributed to Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, Abdullah said every democratic effort to press for statehood had been dismissed. He remarked that they were first told statehood would not return through debates in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Later, they were told protests within the Union Territory would make no difference. According to him, even demonstrations outside Parliament were now being portrayed as ineffective.
In a sharp remark directed at the Centre, Abdullah asked whether he should travel to the White House and seek Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood from President Donald Trump. He said the demand was being raised within India through constitutional and democratic means, yet no clear response had come from the government.
The National Conference leader announced that his party would organise a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20, the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. He said the party had waited for nearly two years after the Assembly elections and believed the time had come to intensify its campaign for the restoration of statehood.
Abdullah also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s earlier assurance regarding the issue. He said if the commitment was made by the Prime Minister, it deserved to be honoured. According to him, every request for a timeline had received the same response from the Centre, namely that action would be taken “at the appropriate time”, without any indication of when that time would arrive.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the National Conference would continue its campaign through peaceful and democratic methods. He stressed that the planned protest outside Parliament was intended only to secure the fulfilment of a promise made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The demand for the restoration of statehood has remained one of the central political issues in Jammu and Kashmir since the region was reorganised into a Union Territory. Abdullah’s latest remarks indicate that the National Conference intends to keep the issue at the forefront during the upcoming Parliamentary session.
