Omar Abdullah warns conditional statehood could hand restoration decision to Pakistan
Omar Abdullah said linking Jammu-Kashmir statehood to the end of militancy would let Pakistan influence its restoration, after the assembly passed a statehood resolution and BJP members staged a walkout.
The Jammu-Kashmir legislative assembly passed a resolution urging the Union government to reinstate full statehood, citing earlier demands for greater autonomy and special status. The move triggered a BJP walkout, with members shouting “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and filing a motion against speaker Abdul Rahim Rather. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticised the BJP’s stance that statehood should only follow the end of militancy, warning that such a condition would hand the decision to Pakistan.
He emphasized that the resolution deliberately omits Article 370, 35A and autonomy references to avoid giving the BJP a pretext to block it. BJP’s Sunil Sharma labeled the resolution anti-constitutional and anti-secular, arguing it seeks to revert to the pre-1953 situation. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary countered the claim that the region’s sensitive border location justifies its union-territory status, noting many Indian states share borders with neighbours. The Supreme Court has already instructed the centre to restore statehood promptly after the 2024 assembly elections, though the timeline remains unclear.
Why it matters
The debate decides if Jammu-Kashmir’s return to full statehood will be set by India or indirectly shaped by Pakistan.
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