Rajouri, April 20, KNT: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday questioned the Centre over the delay in restoring statehood to the Union Territory, saying there was “no clear answer” despite repeated assurances.
Addressing a public rally in Nowshera in Rajouri district, Abdullah pressed the BJP-led central government to specify a timeline and conditions for restoring statehood.
“There is no clear answer about the restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir. They say ‘at the right time’. What does that mean?” he said, challenging the Centre to define its commitment.
The remarks place renewed focus on the long-pending political issue, which has remained central to the region’s electoral discourse since the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
Abdullah said the Centre had repeatedly promised restoration of statehood in various forums, including Parliament and the Supreme Court, but had yet to outline a clear roadmap.
“If it is your promise, does your word have no value?” he said, adding that people deserved clarity similar to defined benchmarks in examinations.
He asserted that the current government in Jammu and Kashmir was fulfilling its commitments, while questioning the Centre’s delay in delivering on its assurances.
The chief minister said people across political affiliations had voted with expectations that statehood would be restored and what he termed as “injustice” addressed.
Referring to the sequence outlined by the Centre, Abdullah said delimitation and elections had already been completed, yet statehood had not been restored.
“Today, one and a half years have passed; we are asking: where is that promise?” he said.
He also criticized the Centre over the implementation of women’s reservation in legislatures, linking it to concerns over delimitation.
Abdullah alleged that the delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir had resulted in a disproportionate political advantage, claiming it was aimed at consolidating control. [KNT]
J&K Statehood Promise | What Centre Has Said
The Union Government, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, has repeatedly stated that statehood to Jammu and Kashmir will be restored “at an appropriate time” after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
During parliamentary debates and public statements, Amit Shah outlined a sequence indicating that Jammu and Kashmir would first undergo delimitation, followed by assembly elections, and then restoration of statehood.
The Centre has also conveyed this position before the Supreme Court, reiterating that statehood remains a commitment, though without specifying a fixed timeline.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in various political speeches and interactions, has echoed the assurance that full statehood would be reinstated, describing it as part of the government’s long-term plan for the region.
However, despite completion of delimitation and assembly elections, no official timeline has been announced so far for restoring statehood, with the government continuing to maintain that it will happen at the “right time.”
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