Not abandoning statehood to appease BJP: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar: J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday that his party will not abandon the statehood restoration protest to appease the BJP, stressing that the Delhi protest was just the beginning of the campaign to get statehood restored.

Speaking at a press conference, Omar Abdullah said the protest in Delhi was only the start and that the National Conference (NC) would continue to remind the Centre of its commitments. He asserted that the party would not compromise on its political agenda to appease the BJP.

He said the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly had passed a resolution seeking restoration of autonomy, but the move was deliberately misrepresented. “When the Assembly passed the autonomy resolution, it was falsely portrayed as an attempt to separate Jammu and Kashmir from India or merge it with Pakistan. These allegations were made only to discredit our political struggle. We completely reject such propaganda,” he said.

He alleged that the Centre was unhappy with the Assembly resolution and subsequently encouraged the emergence of new political formations to weaken the voice of Jammu and Kashmir. He added that even today, efforts continue to divide and weaken the people’s voice.

“The objective behind the Delhi protest was to remind the Centre of the commitments made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We invited all political parties because this is not the issue of the NC alone; it is the issue of the entire Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

He criticised regional parties, saying some not only stayed away but also mocked the NC’s initiative.

“Some parties neither joined us nor made any effort of their own. Instead, they ridiculed our campaign. I am not worried about how the Centre reacts to our protest, but I am disappointed with those who claim to be well-wishers of Jammu and Kashmir and forget that concern whenever such moments arrive,” he said.

Responding to criticism that the NC was no longer speaking about Article 370 or special status, Omar Abdullah said the party had never abandoned its core agenda.

“People ask why we are not talking about Article 370 or special status. Tell me, when did we ever abandon that agenda? When others discarded their own agenda to shake hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, we stood firmly by ours,” he said.

He said the larger issue was restoration of statehood and the constitutional relationship between Jammu and Kashmir and the Centre.

“People say bring back Article 370 or special status. I ask them, without statehood what meaning will Article 370 or Article 371 have? Whether it is called Article 370 or by any other name, the real issue is the constitutional sharing of powers between Jammu and Kashmir and the Centre,” he said.

He added that such power-sharing was possible only when Jammu and Kashmir regains statehood.

Taking a dig at rival parties, Omar Abdullah accused them of avoiding confrontation with the BJP.

“Those who do not want to upset the BJP stayed inside their homes, posting tweets and using social media. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have now seen who is prepared to fight on the ground and who prefers to remain behind a mobile phone,” he said.

He also said the party would soon announce its future course of action. “Delhi protest was just the beginning and not the end. The next phase and its form will be decided at the organisational level under the leadership of Farooq Abdullah. This struggle will continue, and there will be no slackening from our side. We will keep reminding the Centre of its commitments,” he added.

Meanwhile, addressing the media in Jammu, senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in J&K Assembly Sunil Sharma said when people are dying and losing their homes and livelihood, Omar Abdullah is looking for political mileage by raising slogans about statehood.

“He should abandon political activity and address the problems of the sufferers due to the present natural calamity,” he said.

IANS