Srinagar, Jul 18: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader Sunil Sharma on Saturday said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is demanding restoration of statehood not for J&K people but to restore the Abdullah family’s “royal lifestyle.”
Speaking to reporters here, Sharma, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said, “The issue of statehood had always been the BJP’s agenda and not that of the National Conference (NC).”
He said, “Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is seeking restoration of statehood because the Abdullah family’s royal lifestyle had been affected after the constitutional changes of August 2019 and that the demand is not for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
The LoP said the BJP had never promised statehood to the Abdullah family but had committed to restoring it to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“We have made that commitment and we will restore statehood at the appropriate time,” he said.
He said the ruling National Conference (NC) is using the statehood campaign to divert public attention from governance failures and unfulfilled election promises.
“The Abdullah family had been entrusted with power by the people for generations, but the present government has failed to fulfil the promises it made before the 2024 Assembly elections,” he said.
Sharma said people continued to struggle for basic amenities, including electricity, drinking water, roads, schools and hospitals, while the government had become invisible on the ground.
“The promises made before the elections have been forgotten. After failing on every front, the Abdullah family has once again chosen to mislead the people by shifting the debate to statehood,” he said.
PRESENT ARRANGEMENT HAS ENSURED PEACE
On the security situation, Sharma defended the Centre’s decision to retain control over law and order, saying the present arrangement had ensured peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said there had been no civilian killings in the Union Territory during the past one-and-a-half to two years and that not a single local youth had joined terrorist ranks during the same period.
Sharma said that while cross-border infiltration and terrorism continued, Pakistan is attempting to push infiltrators into Jammu and Kashmir, while the local ecosystem that earlier supported terrorism stands dismantled.
He said that unlike previous years, when hundreds of local youths allegedly joined terrorist ranks annually, there had been no local recruitment in the recent past, which, reflected a significant decline in terrorism.
Sharma also said that if the Abdullah government had been given control over the police and security apparatus, the security situation could have deteriorated. “Law and order should remain with the Centre until terrorism is completely eradicated and the security situation stabilises further,” he said.
The LoP said the BJP remains committed to restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir but asserted that the decision would be taken at an appropriate time, keeping in view national interest and the prevailing security situation. (KNO)
