Now Reading: Omar Abdullah: J&K statehood delay cost me huge political capital
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Omar Abdullah: J&K statehood delay cost me huge political capital
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Saturday that the prolonged delay in restoring statehood has cost him huge political credibility. In an interview, Abdullah said his strategy of building…
The Story in Brief
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Saturday that the prolonged delay in restoring statehood has cost him huge political credibility. In an interview, Abdullah said his strategy of building a constructive relationship with the Centre to secure early statehood has backfired, eroding public trust. He urged the government to set a clear timeline, calling the current 'appropriate time' promise a shifting finish line. Abdullah rejected the argument that statehood must wait until terrorism is eradicated, noting his elected government has no control over security. He described a Union territory with an Assembly as an 'abomination', pointing to administrative paralysis. Abdullah also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal pledge, calling it a 'Modi Ka Wada', and said his government will continue to agitate for statehood through dialogue and protests.
The Indian Opinion
Two narratives compete here. The Centre insists statehood will come at an 'appropriate time', but that phrase has become a moving target, as Omar Abdullah points out. On the other hand, Abdullah's claim that he lost credibility by trusting the Centre cuts both ways: he chose to cooperate, and now his voters are angry. The real test is whether the Modi government will fix a concrete timeline in the next Parliament session. If not, every 'Modi Ka Wada' on J&K will ring hollow.
Sources (2): greaterkashmir.com, indiatoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
