From the DeskNo discussion about statehood at the expense of 26 lives Omar Abdullah expressed his profound sorrow and stated that although restoring sovereignty is still a crucial objective, he would postpone making the demand until later and refrain from using human life as a negotiating chip.
Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said he would not call for the Union Territory to become a state over the bodies of innocent citizens, ruling out politicizing the 26-person Pahalgam terror assault on Monday. The leader of the National Conference expressed his profound sorrow and stated that although restoring statehood is still a crucial objective, he would postpone making the demand until later and refrain from using human lives as a negotiating chip.
The leader of the National Conference vehemently denounced the terror attack and declared that he would not go so far as to use the tragedy for political gain. He declared, “I would not demand statehood at the cost of 26 deaths because my brand of politics is not so cheap.” “But I will not use today’s circumstances to demand statehood from the Center,” Abdullah stated, adding, “but we are not in command of law and order in Jammu and Kashmir.” Dead bodies will not make me want statehood. We will insist on it at a later time,” he stated.
The opposition and the center have been at odds over the demand for statehood. The National Conference’s manifesto for the elections in Jammu and Kashmir included several important pledges, including the reinstatement of statehood for the region, the restoration of Article 370, and the execution of the autonomy resolution. Under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Center repealed Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019, depriving Jammu and Kashmir of its unique status. Even though the National Conference has persisted in calling for statehood, Omar Abdullah claimed that the death toll in Pahalgam is more important than the issue.
Inika Manohar
