Is Farooq Abdullah’s Demand for J&K Statehood Gaining Momentum?

New Delhi, Sep 3 (NationPress) The National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah's recent appeal for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) garnered backing from both the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asserted that the Centre will make the "right decision at the right time".

During a meeting with a delegation of party members from Anantnag West, led by MLA Abdul Majeed Bhat Larmi, Abdullah pressed the Centre to fulfill its promise to restore statehood. He cautioned that the government would eventually "regret" its decisions concerning the region.

The delegation discussed various issues with Abdullah, including organizational matters, outreach initiatives, and concerns about the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Congress leader Udit Raj spoke to IANS, expressing strong support for Abdullah's demand. "We are in favor of this, and it should have been reinstated much sooner. Although elections have occurred, policing and administration remain under the Lieutenant Governor's authority. In that light, J&K has been let down. Full statehood must be restored without delay," he remarked.

Congress MP Tariq Anwar shared similar sentiments, labeling the denial of statehood as an "injustice". "What Farooq Abdullah is stating is completely accurate. For the first time in history, a state has been demoted to a Union Territory. The Centre had guaranteed statehood would be restored after some time, but this promise remains unfulfilled," Anwar noted.

RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari also supported Abdullah's stance, remarking, "This has been his demand for years. Whether in Delhi or Jammu and Kashmir, there has been a persistent call for granting full statehood. The Centre should take it into serious account."

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal emphasized the region's strategic importance, asserting that the government is fully aware of the matter.
"Jammu and Kashmir is a border region of significant importance. Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and the entire government are deeply concerned. Under PM Modi’s leadership, the Centre will make the right decision at the appropriate time," Khandelwal stated.

This isn't the first occasion Farooq Abdullah has raised this topic. On August 4, he criticized the Centre for not providing a timeline for reinstating statehood, reminding the government of its prior assurance that statehood would be restored after elections.

"When are they going to return statehood? They had claimed that once elections are held and a government is formed, statehood would be reinstated. Now they are only discussing holding elections for two vacant Assembly seats. But what about elections for four Rajya Sabha seats? Why are they denying people their right to representation in Parliament?" Abdullah said.

Responding to the BJP’s plans to celebrate the abrogation of Article 370, Abdullah remarked that the ruling party has "nothing to celebrate."

"They have nothing to showcase for their six years here. Our educated youth remain unemployed. Prices are rising, the poor are becoming poorer, while the rich get richer. What accomplishments are there to celebrate? Ultimately, they will have no choice but to restore statehood," he asserted.

Farooq Abdullah’s son and NC vice-president Omar Abdullah, the current CM, has also been an ardent advocate for statehood. In June, he stated that he would not hesitate to dissolve the state Assembly if necessary to achieve this goal. Speaking in Gulmarg, he stressed that "statehood is not a privilege but a right of the people of J&K."

The demand for restoring statehood has been central to political discussions ever since August 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated, leading to J&K losing its special status and being divided into two Union Territories: J&K and Ladakh. The Centre had assured that statehood would be reinstated at an appropriate time, yet no specific timeline has been provided.