Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah dropped a bombshell on Wednesday, warning that the Union Territory’s long-promised statehood hangs in the balance because the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to secure victory in last year’s assembly elections. Speaking to reporters outside his private office in Srinagar, Abdullah accused the BJP of being the sole roadblock to restoring full statehood, alleging that the party’s opposition stems from its electoral defeat rather than any principled stance. “It feels like J&K is being denied statehood just because the BJP lost. This is a grave injustice—nowhere was it stated that statehood depends on a BJP win,” he declared, his voice tinged with frustration.

Abdullah, whose National Conference (NC) leads the 11-month-old coalition government, emphasized that the restoration of statehood was a clear expectation following a three-step process outlined to the Supreme Court: delimitation, elections, and statehood. “Delimitation was completed, elections saw enthusiastic public participation, but now we’re stuck because the BJP didn’t win,” he said, pointing out that the people of J&K should not be punished for exercising their democratic choice. The revocation of J&K’s special status under Article 370 in 2019 reduced it to a Union Territory, and the promise of statehood restoration has been a cornerstone of political discourse ever since.

The chief minister’s remarks come amid growing public unease in J&K, where the lack of statehood limits legislative powers and local governance. Abdullah called it the “biggest challenge” facing his administration, underscoring that the central government’s delay undermines the democratic aspirations of J&K’s 1.4 crore residents. “The BJP stands alone in opposing what the people were promised,” he reiterated, urging the Centre to honor its commitments irrespective of electoral outcomes.

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Shifting gears, Abdullah addressed the sluggish revival of Kashmir’s tourism sector, a critical economic driver. Despite concerted efforts to attract visitors, he admitted that tourist footfall has fallen short of expectations. “We’ve poured resources into promoting the Valley’s beauty, but the numbers aren’t where we want them. We’ll keep pushing,” he vowed, citing plans to enhance infrastructure and global marketing to lure travelers back to the region’s snow-capped peaks and serene lakes.

Abdullah also waded into a brewing controversy over the “I Love Muhammad” campaign, which has sparked arrests and debates. Dismissing objections as absurd, he argued, “Only a mentally sick person would find fault with those three words. How can expressing love for the Prophet be illegal?” He drew parallels with other communities’ public displays of faith, noting that vehicles across India often bear images of deities without issue. “If that’s not a crime, why is this?” he asked, calling on courts to swiftly rectify what he sees as a gross overreach. Abdullah’s outspoken defense underscores his broader push for cultural and religious freedoms in J&K, even as he navigates the tricky terrain of statehood and governance.

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