Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
Srinagar, Aug 8: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has voiced deep frustration over the continued delay in restoring statehood to the Union Territory, saying the anger and disappointment over the issue is directed not only at the Narendra Modi government but has also damaged his own political credibility.
In an interview with journalist Karan Thapar for The Wire, Abdullah admitted that he had placed a significant amount of his political capital on the Centre's assurances regarding restoration of statehood.
"I put a huge amount of my own political credibility at stake for this. I know for a fact that I've eroded a large part of it," Abdullah said.
He added that he would continue to bear the political consequences despite believing that the delay was not his fault.
"I will pay the price for sins that are not mine, and again, I will carry that cross because it's mine to bear," he said.
'Finishing line keeps shifting'
Abdullah criticised the Centre for failing to specify a clear timeline for restoring statehood, saying the phrase "appropriate time" has effectively turned the process into a moving target.
"It's like running a marathon. Instead of completing it in 42 km, every time you reach near the finishing line, they keep shifting it," he said.
He urged the Union government to establish clear parameters and provide clarity on when statehood would be restored.
'Why punish an elected government?'
The Chief Minister also rejected the argument that statehood cannot be restored until terrorism is completely eliminated in Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah argued that his elected government has no control over the security apparatus or the anti-terror mechanism operating in the region.
"You're effectively punishing a government that has no role in this... we have absolutely nothing to do with the anti-terror mechanism that is in place in J-K right now," he said.
According to Abdullah, making restoration of statehood dependent on the security situation effectively shifts the decision-making process away from the elected government and towards Islamabad.
'Union territory with Assembly an abomination'
Abdullah strongly criticised the existing administrative arrangement in Jammu and Kashmir, describing a Union Territory with an elected Assembly as an "abomination".
He pointed out that important institutions, including the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation and the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, continue to remain under the authority of the Lieutenant Governor.
"There is no worse form of government than a Union territory with an Assembly," Abdullah said.
He also said his Cabinet does not have the authority to choose even its own administrative secretaries, highlighting what he described as the limitations imposed on the elected government.
Statehood needed before Article 370 restoration
Responding to criticism that he has softened his position on Article 370, Abdullah said restoration of statehood is a legal prerequisite for bringing back the provision.
"How can you have a state list when you are not a state? Statehood has to come before (Article) 370 can be restored," he said.
'Modi Ka Wada'
Abdullah also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to restore statehood, saying it was not merely a routine political assurance but a commitment personally backed by the Prime Minister.
He described it as "Modi Ka Wada" and said the prolonged delay raises questions about the Union government's accountability to Parliament, the judiciary and the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chief Minister acknowledged that his decision to trust the Centre's assurances had come at a considerable political cost.
He said public disappointment in Jammu and Kashmir was now palpable and that his government would continue to pursue the demand for restoration of statehood through political dialogue as well as street protests and demonstrations, including in the national capital.