Omar reinforcing BJP narrative: Mehbooba

Srinagar, Sep 24: PDP President Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday lashed out at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for reducing "the struggles of Jammu and Kashmir" to the issue of statehood only.

"While violence of any kind is absolutely condemnable, let us be clear. To reduce the struggles of Jammu and Kashmir to the issue of statehood alone, as @OmarAbdullah does, is not only misleading but also a deliberate attempt to diminish a much deeper and more complex reality," Mehbooba said in a post on X.

The chief minister, earlier in the day, had said the delay in the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir was a big challenge for his government.

Commenting on the violence that broke out in Ladakh, Abdullah has again linked it to aspirations of statehood there, she said.

"The core concerns in Jammu and Kashmir or in Ladakh have always centred around dignity, rights, and the protection of land, jobs, and resources, including the demand for special status. Even in Ladakh today, people are openly expressing their discontent, driven by a fear of losing control over their land, livelihoods, and identity," the PDP president said.

The former chief minister said Abdullah linking the struggle solely to statehood was reinforcing the BJP narrative.

"By framing this struggle solely as a question of statehood, @OmarAbdullah not only ignores these broader aspirations but also ends up reinforcing the BJP's narrative," she said.