Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday to discuss several issues, including early restoration of statehood and situation in J&K.
This was the second meeting between Omar and Shah since Omar became Chief Minister in October.
Speaking to reporters, Omar said the discussions were conducted in a “cordial manner,” amd expressed hope for continued cooperation to benefit the people of J&K.
Omar said that he had briefed Shah on the current situation in the Union territory and the performance of his government over the past two months.
Emphasizing need for the restoration of statehood Omar said they hope that J&K gets its statehood restored soon.
Regarding security, Omar said that involvement of public in the fight against terrorism is must. “I assured HM that you cannot fight militancy and terrorism in a vacuum,” Omar said adding that the elected representatives and J&K Govt must be included in the efforts to combat terrorism effectively.
The Chief Minister also clarified that the meeting did not cover the framing of business rules between the elected government and the Lieutenant Governor’s office. He made it clear that this was a matter for the J&K government to decide and not for the Centre.
On being asked about a proposed 28% GST hike on handloom products, Omar said that while he had not seen the proposal, he would oppose it if it reached the GST Council as it would affect not just J&K but other states as well.
Following Omar’s meeting, Shah chaired a second meeting with LG J&K Manoj Sinha and other senior officials to review the law-and-order situation in J&K.
