omar-vows-to-continue-fight-for-j-k-statehood

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) remains committed to restoring the rights and protections that were removed after the constitutional and administrative changes made in 2019. He said the party will continue to work towards safeguarding the region's identity.

 

In August 2019, the Centre revoked Article 370, ending Jammu and Kashmir's special status. The erstwhile state was also reorganised into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

 

In a post on X, Omar quoted lines from Robert Frost's famous poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening while reaffirming his party's stand on the issue.

 

"7 years, we haven't forgotten & we haven't reconciled, far less accepted our current circumstances. My party & I remain committed to reversing all that was done to J&K that took away our rights & threatens our identity. 'The woods are lovely, dark & deep. But I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep', he said.

 

Earlier, National Conference president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah urged the Centre to honour the commitments it had made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the country regarding the region's future.

 

Speaking on the anniversary of the Article 370 decision, Farooq Abdullah said the government should fulfil the assurances it had given and act on its promises.

 

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram described the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir as a constitutional wrong. He also questioned the delay in restoring statehood to the region.

 

Marking seven years since the decision, Chidambaram said the issue remains unresolved and continues to raise important constitutional questions.

 

In a post on X, he noted that the Supreme Court had not ruled on whether a state could be divided and converted into Union Territories. He said the matter was not decided because the Centre had assured the court that statehood would be restored in due course.

 

The National Conference has repeatedly pressed the Centre to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. The party maintains that the promise was made both in Parliament and before the Supreme Court, and has continued to make statehood restoration one of its key political demands.