Omar Abdullah Says J&K Statehood Decision Rests With Centre, Seeks Timeline

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the decision on restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir has to be taken by the Government of India, and not by any other country. Speaking during the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly in Srinagar on Sep 28, as per GNS, he sought clarity on the Supreme Court’s observation that statehood should be restored “as soon as possible.”

Omar questioned any suggestion that the matter could be decided outside India. “Will another country decide the fate of statehood? Absolutely not,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the Centre must clearly explain what it means by “as soon as possible.” He asserted that the phrase cannot be treated as an indefinite timeline, and that the commitment on statehood cannot be pushed without a clear time frame.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s December 2023 verdict on Article 370, Omar said the court had directed that Assembly elections be conducted by September 30, 2024. He said the same verdict also spoke about restoration of statehood “at the earliest and as soon as possible.”

Omar said that, as per settled jurisprudence, “as soon as possible” means within a reasonable and shortest possible time. He said it cannot mean an open-ended delay.

He reiterated that the restoration of statehood is an internal matter and that the commitment made by the Centre should be fulfilled without further delay. His remarks came as he argued that the statehood issue rests with the Government of India.

Omar also took aim at the BJP over the resolution on statehood. He said, “let my fellow BJP leaders show me where in resolution we have asked them to vote for 35A and 370. We have only asked for vote for statehood. Unfortunately some of my own party leaders have come under their (BJP) trap in this regard.”

He also said, “Show Me Where We Asked For Vote On Art 370, 35A, It Was Only For Statehood.”