Pulwama, Apr 15: Reaffirming fulfillment of commitments made with people during elections, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday stated that it was the right time for Jammu and Kashmir to regain its statehood.
Underscoring the importance of Statehood, the Chief Minister said, “Statehood is not our destination but a prerequisite to start the process of reclaiming what the people have lost in the last six to seven years,” adding that the people’s mandate was for restoring their dignity and protecting their identity.
Speaking to the media after inaugurating a vital bridge over the Romeshi rivulet in Rohmoo village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, Omar Abdullah said that he still has hope that Jammu and Kashmir will regain statehood very soon.
“Nearly six months have passed since the Assembly elections were held. We believe this is the right time for restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Commenting upon the Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit had recently visited both Jammu and Srinagar.
“I had a separate meeting with Amit Shah, and it was a good interaction,” Abdullah said, expressing hope that statehood will be reinstated soon.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the Waqf Bill, Abdullah clarified that the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly had not passed any resolution against it because of a procedural misstep by its members.
“They mistakenly brought in an adjournment motion, which is only meant to discuss the functioning of the government. The government is obliged to respond to such motions, but this was not the right procedure for opposing a central law,” he said.
Abdullah further explained that the Waqf Bill was passed by the Indian Parliament and not by the Jammu and Kashmir government.
“If the motion had been accepted, what response could the J&K government have given on a bill it didn’t pass?” he said.
He noted that a resolution against the bill might have stood a better chance had it been introduced through a legal process or a proper way.
“Many political parties have already approached the courts against the Act,” he said, adding that the National Conference has also filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the new Waqf Act.
“We have moved the Supreme Court. Now, we wait to see how the court rules,” he said.
Earlier addressing a gathering of party workers, Omar Abdullah clarified that attaining statehood is not an end goal but a means to achieve broader objectives for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Highlighting the difference between a state and a Union Territory, Abdullah said, “There is a vast difference between the two. A Chief Minister of a state has the authority to take independent decisions, which is not the case in a Union Territory.”
He lamented that hurdles are being created in nearly every initiative he tries to undertake.
“Doesn’t your government doent have the right to implement laws, choose officers, and decide how many local employees should be appointed in a factory?” he asked, adding, “We’re not demanding anything unusual.”
Drawing a comparison with Himachal Pradesh, Abdullah pointed out that it is mandatory for industries there to appoint at least 70% local employees. Similar restrictions also apply to government contracts.
“Industries that violate these rules face seizure of assets and are denied compensation. If such a law is valid and beneficial in Himachal Pradesh, why not in Jammu and Kashmir?” he questioned.
“Don’t local people have the right to earn a livelihood from contracts, factories, and hotels established in their own region?” he added.
He announced that the Jammu and Kashmir government will implement a law to protect and prioritize employment for local youth.
He further asserted that local communities should have rights over their natural resources, including rivers, and the ability to extract sand and boulders for their own use.
