Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the people of J&K feel deeply betrayed over the Centre’s failure to restore statehood, despite repeated assurances.
Omar Abdullah drew a comparison with Ladakh, saying even that Union Territory had not been promised statehood yet its people are protesting over their perceived betrayal. “Ladakh wasn’t even promised statehood, they celebrated UT status in 2019 and they feel betrayed and angry. Now try to imagine how betrayed and disappointed we in J&K feel when the promise of statehood to J&K remains unfulfilled even though we have gone about demanding it democratically, peacefully and responsibly,” he said.
The Chief Minister stressed that the demand for statehood was neither radical nor disruptive but a democratic right that people of Jammu and Kashmir have continued to raise with patience. “We have carried this demand responsibly and within the constitutional framework, yet the government of India continues to delay its restoration,” he remarked.
Omar Abdullah’s statement comes at a time when violence in Ladakh has intensified, with protests demanding statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule. [KNT]
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