Raising his pitch once again for restoration of statehood to J&K, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said he would rather resign than join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to expedite the restoration of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. In a separate yet related statement he alleged key files were pending in LG's office, maintaining that 'dual control' system was badly impacting performance of the government.
Speaking at an event in Achabal in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Monday, Omar said he is not ready to make any political compromise for Statehood and challenged those who favour an alliance to remove him instead.“If you are ready, then tell me, because I am not ready to make that trade. If it is needed to include the BJP in the government, then accept my resignation. Make any MLA here the Chief Minister and form the Government with the BJP,” he said.
The Chief Minister strongly rejected any path that, in his view, risks violence. “How much youth blood do you want to see shed here? At least I am against that. We will fight. We will fight through democratic ways. We will fight by peaceful means. We will get our rights under the law and the Constitution. But I am not ready to bring destruction and devastation to the homes of the people here,” he added.
Omar also criticised those who had celebrated the Centre’s August 5, 2019 decision, saying their current statements contradict their earlier reactions. “The people of Kargil never accepted that decision, but look at Leh, how their attitude has changed. The same people who burst firecrackers, distributed sweets, and said their wishes were fulfilled. Read their statements today. They say they opposed Article 370 for years, but now they realise it was meant for their safeguard,” he said.
On governance and development, the Chief Minister reiterated his administration’s commitment to accelerate promised projects. He said recent rains have caused extensive damage across J&K, affecting roads, water supply schemes, Government buildings, agricultural land, and orchards. He, however, insisted that the Government will continue to deliver on development. “The promises we have made to the people will be fulfilled,” he said.
In a separate statement, he alleged the functioning of the J&K government is being affected due to presence of dual power centres in the Union Territory. Several important files, including those related to Business Rules and key administrative decisions, are still awaiting clearance from the Lieutenant Governor’s office, leading to delays in governance.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed concern over the delays. “Important governance decisions are being held up unnecessarily. Files are not moving with the required urgency, which is affecting the functioning of the government. The people of J&K cannot afford such uncertainty,” he said.
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