All Talk, No Action: Omar Abdullah Rips Centre Over Delayed Statehood for J&K

SRINAGAR: A day after cautioning Ladakh’s leadership against relying on unwritten assurances from New Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday sharpened his stance in Amritsar, telling reporters that the Centre had offered “only verbal assurances” on restoring J&K’s statehood. Interacting with journalists after inaugurating the renovated heritage building of the Jammu & Kashmir House on Court Road, Abdullah spoke at length—mixing candour, frustration, and a pointed reminder of past commitments.

He said he had no indication of what Prime Minister Narendra Modi might announce on his 76th birthday, but added that even a single step—restoring statehood—would carry immense significance. “What can I say as to what he does… If nothing else, let him grant us statehood; what else could we want?” he remarked, after extending birthday greetings to the Prime Minister.

Abdullah recalled that the Centre had repeatedly assured J&K—publicly, in Parliament, and even before the Supreme Court—that statehood would be restored after Assembly elections. Yet, he stressed, nothing had ever been given in writing. “We were told statehood would be restored after elections. But nothing was given in writing; only verbal assurances,” he said. He noted that the Centre’s own sequence—delimitation, elections, then statehood—had stalled at the final step. “Delimitation happened. Elections happened. People participated. But statehood has not been restored even till now,” he lamented.

Drawing from this experience, Abdullah had urged Ladakh’s political and civil society leaders to insist on written commitments from the Centre as they negotiate constitutional safeguards for land, jobs, and cultural protection. He framed his advice as that of “a friend and elder brother,” warning that verbal promises tend to fade once political attention shifts. “Nearly two years have passed, and that promise is nowhere to be seen,” he said, arguing that Ladakh must avoid repeating J&K’s mistake.

His warning comes at a delicate moment for Ladakh. Talks between the Leh Apex Body (LAB), the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), and the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 9 in New Delhi produced little movement, with the Centre asking both groups to build consensus on 8–10 unresolved issues before drafting a special constitutional framework under Article 371. The stalled negotiations prompted LAB and KDA to postpone their planned Kargil–Leh Peace and Justice Padyatra. Meanwhile, the Ladakh administration’s recent compensation package for victims of the September 24, 2025 Leh violence was widely interpreted as a goodwill gesture aimed at rebuilding trust.

Despite Abdullah’s scepticism, officials in New Delhi have signalled willingness to concede several of Ladakh’s demands—particularly those involving cultural protection and stronger local governance. However, full statehood remains off the table, with the Centre arguing that Ladakh’s sparse population and limited economic base make statehood financially unsustainable at present. Prime Minister Modi’s upcoming visit to Ladakh is expected to coincide with major developmental announcements, though whether they satisfy Ladakh’s political aspirations remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, political tensions in J&K sharpened as Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Sunil Sharma criticised Abdullah’s remarks. Speaking to reporters, Sharma said that if the Chief Minister believed his government lacked authority, he should dissolve the Assembly rather than “draw salaries and sit idle.” He argued that fresh elections would be mandatory once statehood is restored, since the current Assembly was elected under a Union Territory framework. “If statehood comes today, elections will have to be held,” he said, questioning Abdullah’s purpose in office until then.

Sharma also defended the abrogation of Article 370, noting that the decision was taken by Parliament, not by the BJP alone. “The day the National Conference takes 275 seats to Parliament, tell them to speak about it,” he said. He vowed that the BJP would continue raising public concerns as the Opposition, regardless of electoral calculations.

He urged the government to open dialogue with protesting daily wagers in essential departments and appealed to the workers to suspend their strike if talks were initiated. On threats issued to Kashmiri Pandits, Sharma said the community would not be intimidated. “Kashmir belongs to every resident, including Kashmiri Pandits. This is not the time when anyone can try to frighten people,” he said.