Omar urges Modi to fulfill his promise of restoring statehood to IIOJK
00Srinagar: Exactly a year after taking oath as Chief Minister of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah has urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfill his promise of restoring statehood to the territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Omar Abdullah addressing a press conference in Srinagar, to mark the first anniversary of the National Conference (NC) government, said the people had expected the assurance to be honoured within the first year of his government.
He said while his administration had stayed true to its electoral commitments, the Indian government had yet to deliver on its pledge to reverse the Union Territory status imposed in 2019.
The Chief Minister also said he believes all the issues can be resolved once statehood is restored and urged the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and Home Minister Amit Shah to fulfill the promises made with the people in Parliament and in the Supreme Court over the restoration of statehood.
“We were hopeful that the Indian government would restore statehood within the first year of our government, but it has not happened,” Omar deplored.
The Chief Minister said his government had already formalised its demand through a resolution passed in the Assembly, underscoring the political consensus in the region on restoring full statehood. “This isn’t just a political slogan — it’s a sentiment deeply rooted in the hearts of the people,” he said.
The Indian government has repeatedly stated that statehood will be restored “at an appropriate time,” but has avoided setting a timeline. With delimitation completed in 2022 and Assembly elections held last year after a gap of nearly a decade, political observers believe the Indian government may be weighing the timing of restoration.
