Examiner Bureau | Amritsar:
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday renewed his demand for restoration of statehood to the Union Territory, saying the Centre’s assurances on the issue have remained verbal.
Speaking to reporters in Amritsar after inaugurating the renovated Jammu and Kashmir House, Abdullah said he had no information about what Prime Minister Narendra Modi might announce on his 76th birthday, but said restoring J&K’s statehood would be a significant step.
“What can I say as to what he does? If nothing else, let him grant us statehood; what else could we want?” Abdullah said.
He said the Centre had indicated that statehood would follow delimitation and Assembly elections, but the final step had not yet taken place.
“You all know what happened with us. We were told that statehood would be restored after the J&K elections. But nothing was given in writing; only verbal assurances were given,” he said.
Abdullah pointed out that delimitation and Assembly elections had since been completed, with the 2024 polls restoring an elected government in J&K, while the Union Territory continues under its present status.
Abdullah also advised political leaders in Ladakh to seek written and legally backed commitments from the Centre on their demands for constitutional safeguards relating to land, employment and other issues.
“Please do not believe any promise made by the central government until they give it to you in writing and signed,” he said, suggesting that such commitments could even be secured through a formal affidavit.
Drawing on J&K’s experience, Abdullah said Ladakh’s leaders should ensure that assurances are formally documented rather than relying solely on verbal commitments.
The issue remains politically significant in J&K, where the elected government has continued to seek restoration of statehood following the 2019 reorganisation of the erstwhile state. The Supreme Court’s December 2023 judgment also recorded the Union government’s position that statehood would be restored at an appropriate time after the Assembly elections.
Abdullah’s latest remarks come amid continuing political discussions between Ladakh representatives and the Centre over constitutional safeguards and the region’s demands.
