IIOJK CM Omar Abdullah launches door-to-door signature campaign for statehood restoration
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has announced that he will launch a massive door-to-door signature campaign to press the demand for restoration of statehood to the territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Omar Abdullah said this during his Indian Independence Day speech at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar today. He said the Indian Supreme Court, during the recent hearing of a petition for restoring IIOJK’s statehood, has given the Modi government eight weeks to respond.
“From today, we will use these eight weeks to go door-to-door in all 90 assembly segments for a signature campaign on the restoration of statehood. If people are not ready to sign the document, I will accept defeat,” he said.
He added that the signature campaign documents will be submitted to the Supreme Court.
While referring to the observations made by the Supreme Court about the Pahalgam attack during the hearing of the petition, Omar Abdullah said it was unfortunate that people of the territory are being punished for a crime in which they played no role.
“There were unfortunate comments in the Supreme Court that the Pahalgam attack should be considered when statehood is decided……Why are we being punished for the crime we have no role in. From Kathua to Kupwara, people came out on their own to protest against the Pahalgam attack. Unfortunately, today we are being punished for the Pahalgam attack,” he said.
On August 14, the Indian apex court had said that it was crucial to consider ground realities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, citing the Pahalgam attack. The bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran had said that instances like the Pahalgam attack could not be ignored. The remarks came in response to the petitioners’ argument that 21 months had passed since the court’s verdict on Article 370, during which the Indian govt had assured the restoration of statehood.
