Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday acknowledged that he has paid a political price for placing his faith in India’s democracy and the Central government to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s rights, including statehood.
Speaking passionately at Bakshi Stadium on Independence Day, Abdullah said he took a significant political risk by asserting that Jammu and Kashmir would achieve its needs through India’s democratic framework rather than confrontation with the Centre.
“Perhaps, I have paid a political price for this stance,” he remarked.
Addressing recent speculation that the Centre might announce the reinstatement of statehood around this Independence Day, the chief minister said he had modest expectations but was led to believe that the announcement was imminent.
“I had little expectation, yet I was repeatedly told that the documents were ready and only the announcement was pending. But it never came. The ray of hope is dimming, yet we will not give up,” Abdullah said.
He pointed out that despite the challenges posed by dual power centers in a Union Territory, his government has accomplished significant work over the past ten months.
“It would be wrong to say we did nothing in the last 10 months. We passed resolutions in the legislative assembly for the restoration of both special status and statehood,” he stated.
The chief minister also highlighted initiatives in the budget aimed at improving daily life in sectors such as education, health, social welfare, transport, tourism, and agriculture.
“Our efforts have focused on making the best use of the powers available to us, so that the people can truly benefit,” he added.
