Appropriate time has come for J&K’s statehood: Omar

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that the appropriate time has come for the restoration of statehood to the union territory.

Abdullah’s statement comes six months after his party’s win in the assembly elections and formation of government and over five years after the erstwhile state’s special status under Article 370 was revoked and the region split into two union territories- J&K and Ladakh.

“We think the appropriate time has come (for restoration of statehood) as six months have passed after assembly elections,” Abdullah said while talking to reporters in south Kashmir after inaugurating a bridge.

After he took oath as CM, Abdullah has been consistently seeking the return of statehood to J&K from the Centre for which he has vowed to fight for in his party’s manifesto.

He has avoided any major confrontation with Centre-appointed lieutenant governor, and also with Prime Minister and home minister who have repeatedly stated that J&K’s statehood would be restored at an ‘appropriate time’ but have not given any timeline.

Abdullah said that he again raised the demand of statehood with home minister Amit Shah during his 3-day visit to Srinagar and Jammu on April 6.

“Few days back the home minister visited J&K and I met him separately. It was a good meeting, and I am still hopeful that J&K will be granted statehood again,” he said.

During his visit to J&K, Shah chaired review meetings, addressed the families of the policemen killed in action and BJP leaders where he had stressed that the “security situation will be normal soon and statehood would be restored at an appropriate time”.

In January, Omar Abdullah heaped praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Kashmir to inaugurate Sonamarg, saying he was waiting for the fulfilment of his statehood promise to people of J&K.

Modi had responded: “ There is a time for every work and right things will happen at the right time”.