Srinagar, January 2: Rejecting suggestions that his National Conference was under pressure to join the BJP-led NDA, Prime Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday expressed optimism about the promises made by the Center to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir be fulfilled as quickly as possible.
At his first media meeting here since taking office in October, Abdullah stressed that the region's current status as a Union Territory should be viewed as a temporary arrangement and restoring statehood was the “biggest challenge” facing his government.
Abdullah dismissed rumors that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was exerting pressure to change the ideology of the National Conference and join the alliance.
“The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), Home Minister (Amit Shah) or Raj Bhawan are not pressuring us to change our ideology,” he said.
The Prime Minister added that he had received assurances from the Prime Minister and the Home Minister that the National Conference government would remain stable and that they would receive the same cooperation that was previously given to the Lieutenant Governor.
“They have stated that they will respect the mandate of the people. There is nothing I can do to stop rumors being spread that I will now join the NDA and that I have changed my ideology. I am here to work and I will work,” he said at the media interaction at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre.
Asked whether his government planned to approach the court to restore statehood, Abdullah said confrontation should be the last resort.
“Just going to court will be a battle. Fighting should never be the first option, it should be the last option. If the Supreme Court had not spoken about the restoration of statehood, if the Prime Minister and the Home Minister had not spoken about it, we could have gone to court. They have made promises and we must give them a chance first,” he said.
“The Supreme Court had also stated in its judgment that statehood should be restored as soon as possible. It has been a year since then and we think one year should be enough,” Abdullah said.
The chief minister was answering questions on various issues facing his two-month-old government, including the functioning of an elected government that has to share powers with the Centre's appointee, the lieutenant governor.
He argued that “dual centers of power are not beneficial” and that effective governance could best be achieved with a single command structure.
While Abdullah acknowledged some disagreements with the Raj Bhavan, he insisted that these differences were not as serious as speculated.
“Obviously, dual centers of power are not beneficial to anyone. If dual centers were effective governance tools, you would see them everywhere,” he said.
Acknowledging the difference between being the chief minister of a Union Territory and a state, Abdullah said, “It has been a little over two months since we came to power.” We needed time to understand how the UT government functions. We have been associated with the government before, but there is a big difference between that and the current form.”
The Center abrogated Article 370 on August 5, 2019, stripped J&K of its special status and divided it into two Union Territories – J&K and Ladakh. While the former has a legislative assembly with limited powers, Ladakh operates without one.
In December 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the Centre's pleas for abrogation of special status but reiterated the need for speedy restoration of statehood.
Reflecting on the first experiences of his government, Abdullah described the start as “decent” and said processes had been initiated to fulfill election promises.
He insisted that their election program was not limited to a few weeks or months, but was intended for a full five-year term.
“We are bound to our election promises. We have started implementing some promises and for other promises we need changes in the system. I hope the fact that JK is a UT is a passing phase,” Abdullah said.
The Prime Minister also announced that the rules of operation for the government will be formulated after thorough consultations and then submitted to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
He stressed the importance of addressing public concerns and encouraged citizens to seek solutions wherever possible, be it from the Raj Bhavan, local MLAs or government officials.
As National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi joined the protests against a reservation near his residence in Gupkar, Abdullah asserted that NC is a democratic party where every member has the right to express his or her opinion.
“Although we are accused of being a family party, we are a democracy and everyone has the right to their opinion,” said Abdullah, pointing to the positive changes that have occurred recently.
He noted that protests once considered illegal had become a means by which citizens could raise their concerns directly with him.
“…People protested and reached my door. “We had a meeting after that,” he added, referring to the protest near his residence in Gupkar, which Mehdi also joined.
On the reservation issue, Abdullah said a Cabinet sub-committee has been set up to look into the matter.
He expressed hope that Mehdi would work for the restoration of statehood in parliament while advocating for reservation rights.
Abdullah, however, said while we can fight over the reserved and open category, “but first we have to save our jobs”.
“What will we do if people come here from other places to find work?” he asked.
Responding to questions on the Raj Bhavan's decision not to reintroduce public holidays on NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah's birth anniversary and Martyrs' Day on July 13, the chief minister reiterated that such decisions are the legacy of those who made significant sacrifices for the region , cannot erase.
“The holidays became a big story. Ideally, we want to have them because they have an emotional connection with people,” he added.
Abdullah also said his government was formulating a policy to address the situation of hoteliers in Gulmarg whose land leases expired after they opted for the now-defunct Roshini scheme.