National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah expressed disappointment on Monday over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent address to the nation, stating that the prime minister should have addressed the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. The remarks came amid ongoing political tensions in the region, where J&K has been a Union Territory since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, stripping it of its special status.

In his Sunday evening speech, Modi focused on the benefits of Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms, which included revised rates effective from Monday. Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Abdullah quipped, "You are talking about GST; it would have been better had you (Modi) talked about our statehood in the speech." The NC leader, a former chief minister, highlighted the significance of the issue, noting that a related petition is scheduled for hearing in the Supreme Court during the second week of October.

Abdullah conveyed optimism, saying, "Not just the National Conference, but everyone has hopes that we will get our statehood back," reflecting widespread sentiment among J&K's citizens for reinstating full statehood.

Abdullah also touched on other contentious matters, including the case of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik, who is serving a life sentence in a terror funding case. Arrested in February 2019, Malik faces multiple charges, such as the 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of then-Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and the 1990 attack on Indian Air Force personnel in Rawalpora. Dismissing any political involvement, Abdullah deferred to the judiciary: "Courts make the decision. The court will decide that. We have no role in that."

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The veteran politician described J&K's governance system as "walking on a razor's edge," underscoring the fragility of the current administrative framework under a lieutenant governor-led Union Territory structure. He urged perseverance, adding, "We have to walk on it, and we cannot step back."

Addressing the recent detention of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Mehraj Malik from Doda under the Public Safety Act (PSA), Abdullah criticised the legislator's "inappropriate" and "unparliamentary" language toward an officer but deemed the PSA invocation excessive. "They could have resolved it through talks. But they did not do that," he said, while noting that only the lieutenant governor holds the authority to revoke such detentions, limiting the elected government's options.

Abdullah's comments revive debates on J&K's political future at a critical juncture, with Supreme Court proceedings looming and assembly elections anticipated soon. As a key figure in the region's politics for decades, his voice amplifies calls for dialogue and restoration, potentially influencing national discourse on federalism and regional autonomy.

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