Srinagar, Jul 11 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday accused the Centre of delaying on its promise to restore statehood to the union Territory and asserted that his government’s patience should not be mistaken for weakness.
Addressing National Conference workers on the death anniversary of Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah, wife of party founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and revered by party workers as Madar-e-Meharban (Mother of Compassion), Omar said he had initially chosen the path of dialogue with the Centre in the hope that it would honour its commitment on statehood.
Paying tributes to his grandmother, Omar said the biggest lesson he learnt from her was patience despite the many political crises she witnessed, including Sheikh Abdullah’s imprisonment, the split in the National Conference in 1984 and the turmoil of the 1990s.
“The biggest lesson she has taught me is patience. If we want to pay tribute to Madar-e-Meharban in the right way, we will have to remember the path of patience that she showed us,” he said.
At the same time, he asserted that “the path of patience is not the path of weakness. The path of patience is not the path of silence… This patience is our strength. This patience is our voice.”
Questioning the delay in restoring statehood, Omar said, “It has been nearly two years to our government. After all, why are we talking about protesting in Jantar Mantar today? What happened?”
“I am the man who, for nearly two years, put his political fate and reputation at stake and told the Centre that we want to get our rights through dialogue, not by fighting,” he said.
Referring to the Centre’s assurances after the abrogation of Article 370, Omar said the promise was to restore normalcy in three stages — delimitation, Assembly elections and restoration of statehood.
“Delimitation happened… Elections were held. Now what is our fault in this? That the people of Jammu and Kashmir gave us the responsibility of the government,” he said.
Claiming the delimitation exercise was aimed at benefiting the BJP, he said, “Their aim was that somehow, by killing democracy, they wanted to rule here. But the people of Jammu and Kashmir turned out to be much smarter than them.”
The chief minister also alleged that despite an elected government being in place, major decisions continued to remain with Raj Bhavan.
“Why did you make a government if you won’t let that government work?” he asked.
Drawing a comparison with Ladakh, Omar questioned why the Centre was willing to discuss constitutional safeguards there while Jammu and Kashmir continued to await restoration of statehood.
“We want a state… Why are you not ready to talk to us?” he said.
Omar Abdullah also accused the Centre of using the promise of restoring statehood as a recurring electoral plank while delaying its implementation, and asserted that his government would not allow panchayat and local body polls to be dictated solely by New Delhi.
He said if the Centre intended to restore statehood only after the BJP formed the government in Jammu and Kashmir, it should state so openly instead of “keeping people under deception”.
Referring to the Centre’s push for grassroots elections, he said the National Conference also favoured holding panchayat and local body polls but insisted the timing could not be decided unilaterally.
“You say panchayat and local body elections will be held at the right time. We also say they should be held, but we will also decide what the right time is. This right time runs from both sides,” Omar said. “You do not decide this right time alone. We can also decide what will be the right time. You are making fun of our patience, our decency, our silence.”
Omar also alleged attempts were being made to engineer defections in the National Conference, claiming a legislator had been offered “Rs 20-30 crores, one ministry, and statehood” if they switched sides.
“…You will not see anyone who is ready to sell their faith for 100 crores, not 20 crores,” he said.
Calling statehood a cause that transcended political parties, Omar appealed to all political parties to join the National Conference’s protest at Jantar Mantar on July 20. He also asked party workers unable to travel to Delhi to organise demonstrations at district headquarters across Jammu and Kashmir.
“There should only be one slogan — that the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir should be restored. That’s it,” he said, adding that the future course of the agitation would depend on the Centre’s response.
