Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday expressed optimism about the restoration of statehood, saying, “I believe that time has come now.”
When asked if he had raised the issue during his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi earlier this week, Abdullah said the process of statehood restoration was underway and urgently needed to be taken to its logical conclusion. He referred to the Supreme Court’s mention of statehood being restored “as soon as possible” when it upheld the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370.
The Centre had abrogated Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and reorganised the erstwhile state into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh in 2019.
“It was discussed as soon as possible and that was over a year ago. We feel that time has arrived now,” Abdullah said in an exclusive interview with PTI Videos.
The chief minister also said he had a “very good conversation” with the home minister, adding, “It’s part of an ongoing conversation, and I am very hopeful that statehood will be restored soon.”
Asked if the distance between Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir had reduced since he took office last year, Abdullah noted that some incidents had widened the gap, referring to the recent killings in Sopore and Billawar. He stressed the need for transparent investigations and accountability.
In Billawar, a 26-year-old man accused of militancy allegedly committed suicide on February 4 following “police harassment.” The day after, a truck driver was killed in army firing when he allegedly refused to stop at a checkpost in Sopore. Abdullah emphasized that preventing such incidents is a collective responsibility.
Abdullah also responded to criticism from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), attributing it to their electoral loss. Reflecting on his administration’s performance, he said, “No one voted for us for 100 days. People voted for us for five years, so let us do our work.”
He acknowledged the challenges of governing Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory, noting that ruling the region “is never easy.” Addressing concerns about political pressure, he humorously pointed to the weather as his main challenge, warning of potential water shortages due to unusually high temperatures.
He concluded by expressing hope for rain or snow in the coming days to alleviate the heat’s impact.