Srinagar, July 21: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday defended the National Conference’s campaign for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, asserting that the movement would continue until the Centre fulfilled its commitment, while accusing several political parties of attempting to discredit and weaken the initiative through criticism and social media campaigns.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Omar Abdullah said his party had consistently pursued the restoration of statehood through democratic and constitutional means despite facing criticism at every stage.
He recalled that when the National Conference had passed a resolution seeking the restoration of autonomy in the past, the move had also attracted criticism and, according to him, even led to political developments aimed at weakening the party. “Those who claimed they were fighting for freedom achieved neither freedom nor anything else,” he remarked.
Referring to the recent protest in New Delhi demanding the restoration of statehood, Omar Abdullah said the programme was intended to remind the Central Government of its repeated assurances on the issue. He said invitations had been extended to all political parties to join the campaign, but many chose not to participate and instead ridiculed the initiative.
“They left no stone unturned to make our protest unsuccessful,” he said, adding that some parties preferred criticizing the movement rather than standing united on what he described as a common cause for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Responding to criticism that his party should have prioritized the issue of Article 370, the Chief Minister maintained that restoration of statehood was a prerequisite for any meaningful political discourse on constitutional safeguards.
“Without statehood, what is the meaning of talking about Article 370 or even Article 371?” he asked. He argued that as a Union Territory, Jammu and Kashmir lacked a State List and many powers ordinarily vested in an elected state government remained with the Centre and the Lieutenant Governor’s administration.
Omar Abdullah as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust said the National Conference had never abandoned its stand on the constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir and had repeatedly raised the issue in appropriate forums, including through resolutions. He asserted that the present campaign for statehood did not amount to abandoning earlier commitments but was a necessary step towards restoring democratic institutions and powers.
He alleged that some political parties avoided supporting the movement because they did not want to antagonize the BJP, choosing instead to criticize the National Conference from what he described as the comfort of social media.
The Chief Minister said the campaign for statehood had only begun and would continue in different forms until the Centre honoured its commitment. “The mode and process of protest may change, but the movement for statehood will continue,” he said, expressing hope that the Union Government would eventually restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
Highlighting the participation in the Delhi demonstration, Omar Abdullah described the protest as a significant political milestone. He said his father, National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, despite being 90 years old, had led the demonstration, creating what he termed a powerful symbol of the party’s commitment to the cause. He also thanked the party workers and supporters who travelled to New Delhi at their own expense to participate in the protest, assuring the people that the National Conference remained committed to fulfilling the promises it had made to the electorate. [KNT]
