Srinagar, Sep 28: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah sought the immediate restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, reminding the Centre of prior assurances following elections, as the Legislative Assembly passed the resolution on Monday amid a walkout by the opposition BJP.
“We want justice for the humiliation that we have gone through. It is not charity or favour from the Centre; it (statehood) is our right. The Centre has made promises, and they should fulfil them,” he said.
Replying in the legislative assembly debate on his resolution, the chief minister asked which dictionary translates ‘as soon as possible’ to two years, referring to the Centre’s assurance in the Supreme Court during a hearing on Article 370 petitions.
The chief minister questioned the Centre’s delay in restoring statehood.
“Two years have passed since elections. The Supreme Court has said in the Article 370 judgement that statehood be restored as soon as possible after elections. Which dictionary says as soon as possible means two years?” he asked, adding, “we have been patient, but for how long?”
On December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the revocation of Article 370, which accorded a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, even as it ordered that assembly elections be held in the union territory by September 2024 and its statehood be restored “at the earliest”.
Abdullah said when he moved the resolution in the house, he knew “our friends standing here would not be happy with it”.
“I knew they would make all efforts to disrupt the house so that they do not have to vote on it. I carefully worded the resolution to avoid anything that could give the BJP an excuse to disrupt the house. For the past three days, they have been drumming up that we are asking a vote for (Articles) 370 and 35A or special status,” he said. Abdullah asserted that “we are only asking for a vote for statehood”.
Criticising arguments linking statehood restoration to peace and the total eradication of militancy, Abdullah warned that such a condition effectively hands control over Jammu and Kashmir’s political future to cross-border actors.
“Are you linking it to militancy and the last gun falling silent? If that is the case, then the decision will be taken in Islamabad and not in New Delhi, because Pakistan carried out the Pahalgam, Uri and Pulwama attacks. You are leaving it to Pakistan until the last gun falls silent. Have they decided that our PM will not restore statehood? We always believed that New Delhi would decide, but they seem to have exported this power,” he said.
The chief minister said if the ruling BJP at the Centre was hesitant to restore statehood under a National Conference-led coalition in J-K, it should have been transparent with the Supreme Court.
“Is this statehood only for me? No, it is for all the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Referring to the opposition BJP’s protest in the assembly, he said they fear their image will be undermined if statehood is restored now.
Deliberating on the need for the resolution and the restoration of statehood, the chief minister highlighted the practical governance challenges of operating as a Union Territory. He cited severe bureaucratic overreach and administrative paralysis.
“He said the Speaker has received an opinion from the Law Department regarding the resolution. As the Law Minister, I have no information; the Law Secretary sent an opinion to you (Speaker). The Chief Secretary also sent you an opinion on the resolution. But I am unaware. This can only happen in a UT, not a state,” Abdullah asserted. He also pointed out administrative delays, including the unresolved plight of daily wage workers.
“A committee formed to address the regularisation of daily wagers was given a six-month deadline, yet a year has passed without a report. The administration has operated without an Advocate General for two years despite formal proposals submitted by the elected government. Is there any state or UT that has not had an AG for the past two years? Will they dare to defy in a state? They dare because we are a Union Territory,” Abdullah said.
Referring to the cabinet sub-committee report on the issue of reservation, the chief minister said his cabinet approved it and sent it to the Lieutenant Governor (LG), who kept it for some time.
“He has authority; he used it. Then he sent it to the Centre. Queries were raised. We answered and sent the file back to the LG. However, there has been no decision so far,” he added.
Underlining the elected government’s helplessness, Abdullah said even the Revenue Department has been kept outside its purview.
“Security and Law and Order are the LG’s domain. But why has the Revenue Department been kept outside the elected government’s purview? So many institutions are there which are not under our control. Today, even the cultural academy is not under our purview. What has the cultural academy to do with law and order?” he asked.
He also cited the Islamic University of Sciences and Technology (IUST) and Bana Ghulam Shah Badshah (BGSB) University, saying the chief minister used to be ex officio chancellor in a state but now has no role. “Why?” he questioned. Abdullah said the government sent a file to approve the business rules two years ago, but it has not been approved so far.
“We remained patient, but for how long? We wanted to build a consensus, but I do not know where they (BJP MLAs) got dictation from. I know some of them want to vote in favour of statehood (resolution) but are under compulsion not to,” the chief minister said.
Abdullah lamented that BJP MLA Devyani Rana raised the slogans of ‘Jammu ke jaichand’ against some members of the treasury benches.
“It is unfortunate that Devyani Rana raised the slogan of ‘Jammu k jaichand’. This slogan was used most against her father, the late Devender Rana, who was a very close aide of mine,” Abdullah said.
