Srinagar: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday accused Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of oversimplifying the region’s political struggle by reducing it to a demand for statehood.
In a post on X, Mufti stressed that the concerns of people in Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh go far beyond statehood, revolving instead around dignity, rights, and protection of land, jobs, resources, and special status. She warned that narrowing the discourse risks strengthening the BJP’s narrative.
“Violence of any kind is condemnable, but to reduce the struggles of J&K to statehood alone, as @OmarAbdullah does, is misleading and a deliberate attempt to diminish a much deeper and more complex reality,” Mufti wrote. She added that in Ladakh too, public anger stems from fears of losing control over land, livelihoods, and identity.
Mufti argued that by framing the issue only as statehood, Abdullah “ignores broader aspirations and ends up reinforcing the BJP’s narrative.”
Meanwhile, Abdullah expressed disappointment over the Centre’s unfulfilled promise of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. His remarks followed massive protests in Ladakh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule protections.
Reacting to the unrest, Abdullah pointed out that Ladakh was never promised statehood and had celebrated Union Territory status in 2019 after Article 370’s abrogation, yet its people now feel “betrayed and angry.” He added that J&K too feels “betrayed and disappointed” as its demand for statehood—raised “democratically, peacefully, and responsibly”—remains unmet.
“Ladakh wasn’t even promised statehood. They celebrated UT status in 2019 & they feel betrayed & angry. Now imagine how betrayed & disappointed we in J&K feel when the promise of statehood remains unfulfilled,” he posted on X.
The protests in Leh turned violent on Wednesday as demonstrators demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule protections clashed with police, even targeting the BJP office in the city.
