Statehood restoration hopes fading, but not lost yet: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, Oct 27: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said that his optimism about the restoration of J&K’s statehood was “gradually fading” as the wait stretches longer than expected.

However, he said that while his faith may have weakened with time, it had not vanished completely.

“I was hopeful from the first day, and though my optimism has dipped a little, it still exists,” CM Omar told reporters after the second day of the ongoing Assembly session.

“The longer this delay continues, the more hope fades. It’s human nature. But it’s only been a year; hope still remains,” he said.

However, the CM did not comment on reports suggesting he might step down if statehood was not restored within a set time frame.

“I have nothing more to say about that,” he said.

CM Omar said that seeking the return of statehood was not a symbolic demand but a practical necessity for effective governance.

“If governing a Union Territory was easy, every State would have wanted to become one,” he said, adding that he was accountable to the Assembly but had little control over key bureaucratic appointments.

“The department is under me, but the officer isn’t of my choice. Several institutions that should be under the elected government still remain outside our control,” the CM said.

He also took a dig at the BJP’s 28 MLAs for maintaining silence on the issue of statehood. “They sought votes on this promise, yet the Centre hasn’t restored it. We at least know where we stand,” CM Omar said, expressing dismay that the Speaker had blocked discussion on the matter, calling it sub judice.

He said that the government’s business rules framed under the J&K Reorganisation Act of 2019 were still awaiting approval from the Centre.

“We have had a few rounds of talks. The Centre raised queries, but we told them we haven’t gone beyond the law. These rules should have been approved by now,” the CM said.

Turning to other issues, he strongly condemned the use of the Public Safety Act (PSA) against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Mehraj Malik, calling it “an unjust move.”

CM Omar questioned the selective use of the law, saying, “When a Union Minister brands an entire community as disloyal and gets away with it, why is an MLA targeted for expressing his opinion?”

On criticism of BJP legislators accusing his government of ignoring flood-hit areas from a particular community, he said such claims were politically motivated.

“The BJP thinks we govern the way they do. We don’t divide people by religion or region. Aid will be distributed purely based on losses,” the CM said.

He also spoke about the upcoming Budgam by-election, calling it a challenging contest due to internal party dynamics and voter composition.

Without naming his party’s MP, Syed Aga Ruhullah, CM Omar said Budgam’s lack of development was the failure of those who had represented it in the past.

“It’s close to Srinagar, yet it lags in development. We intend to change that,” he said.

The CM also brushed aside speculation of an NC-BJP understanding, insisting that the NC remains the only party “taking the BJP head-on.”

He cited the Nagrota bypoll, where the NC is the only party contesting against the BJP, as proof.

“There’s a difference between having cordial ties with the Centre and political relations with the BJP. The NC has no such relation and will never have one,” CM Omar said.

Dismissing Sajad Lone’s remark that the recent Rajya Sabha polls were “fixed,” he said Lone had no moral right to comment.

“He didn’t even vote. If he really wanted to stop any fixing, he should have participated,” the CM said.

He said that some MLAs had cross-voted or wasted their ballots in the election that saw the BJP win one of four seats.

“Those who sold their conscience will have to answer to their Allah or Bhagwan,” CM Omar said.

He also defended his veteran colleague and party MP Mian Altaf Ahmad’s recent remarks about the government, calling him a “father figure.”

“I respect his advice deeply, just as I do my own father’s,” the CM said.