Omar Abdullah’s bold stance: Willing to sacrifice CM chair for J-K statehood – ‘let them do it’

“I have read in a newspaper that statehood will be restored but assembly elections would have to be held afresh. Let them do it, who has stopped them,” Abdullah told reporters at Gulmarg, the famed tourist site 52 kilometres from Srinagar.

Abdullah, who was sworn in as the first chief minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in October last year, said that statehood is the right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“I know where the story has come from. I know who planted the story in a newspaper here…. it was planted only to scare the MLAs. This statehood is not for any MLA or the government. This statehood is for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and we MLAs will not be an obstacle in it,” he said.

The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government has promised the return of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

Don’t try to scare us: Omar

“If the MLAs are being threatened with the dissolution of the Assembly for the restoration of statehood, then do it. The day the state is established again, the next day we will go to the governor and recommend the dissolution of the Assembly. Don’t try to scare us … statehood is our right and give it (back) to us. Stop planting stories in newspapers, it won’t work,” he added.

Statehood is not for any MLA or the government. This statehood is for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

On June 6, Omar Abdullah, raised the issue of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir at the flagging off of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden train to Kashmir in Katra, the pilgrim town in Jammu.

“There are four persons on this stage who were present at the inauguration of the Katra railway station (in 2014). You had just won the election, becoming the Prime Minister for the first time. PMO Jitendra Singh was present then, and our LG Manoj Sinha sahib wasMoS Railways, and I was here as chief minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” Omar said while PM was on stage.