Omar Abdullah’s J&K Statehood Signature Drive Begins

In a fiery Independence Day address at Bakshi Stadium, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced a massive door-to-door signature campaign across all 90 assembly segments to demand the restoration of statehood to the region.

The campaign, set to leverage an eight-week window granted by the Supreme Court for the Centre to respond to a statehood plea, aims to present a unified public voice to the apex court. Abdullah’s pledge comes amid his sharp criticism of linking J&K’s political future to terrorist acts, particularly referencing the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists, in south Kashmir’s Baisaran meadow.

Abdullah, delivering his first Independence Day speech since J&K’s downgrade to a union territory in 2019, condemned remarks made during a Supreme Court hearing led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, which suggested that the “ground situation,” including the Pahalgam attack, must be considered before restoring statehood. Calling the reference “unfortunate,” he questioned, “Will the killers of Pahalgam and their masters in the neighbouring country decide whether we will be a state? Every time we are close to statehood, they will do something to sabotage it. Is this fair? Why are we being punished for a crime in which we had no role?”

Highlighting widespread public outrage, Abdullah noted that “from Kathua to Kupwara, people came out on their own to protest against the Pahalgam attack.” He argued that penalizing J&K’s residents for actions of Pakistani terrorists unfairly undermines their aspirations. “Unfortunately, today we are being punished for the Pahalgam attack,” he said, emphasizing that external actors should not dictate the region’s political destiny.

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The signature campaign, Abdullah declared, will mobilize public support to pressure decision-makers. “From today, we will use these eight weeks to go door to door for a signature campaign on the restoration of statehood. If people are not ready to sign the document, I will accept defeat,” he said, expressing confidence in achieving overwhelming support. “We will have to take these voices from our offices to the doors where these decisions are taken,” he added, vowing to submit the signatures to the Supreme Court.

The campaign marks a significant escalation in the National Conference-led government’s push for statehood, revoked after the abrogation of Article 370. Posts on X reflect polarized sentiments, with some praising Abdullah’s bold move as a democratic stand, while others question its feasibility amid ongoing security challenges. As J&K navigates its complex political and security landscape, Abdullah’s initiative underscores a determined effort to reclaim statehood and challenge narratives tying the region’s future to acts of terror.

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