06/02/2026
JAMMU, Feb 5: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday strongly criticised the BJP for linking the restoration of statehood to the end of violence in the Union Territory, saying people had participated in elections in good faith over repeated assurances that statehood would be returned.
Replying to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Lieutenant Governor's address in the Assembly, Abdullah took exception to remarks by Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, who had said statehood would be restored only when violence ends.
"You should give it back; that was in your manifesto. People were kept waiting for this very thing. Now what is the fault of the people here?" Abdullah said in the House.
He recalled that voters were urged to participate in Parliamentary and Assembly elections with the promise that restoration of statehood was part of a three-step process involving delimitation, elections and statehood.
"For the Parliamentary elections, you told people statehood would be ...