J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today urged the elected government to stop “giving the excuse of statehood restoration” for development, triggering a sharp response from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who blamed the LG for the security failure in the April 22 Pahalgam attack.
Speaking at the Foundation Day of UT of J&K in Srinagar, Sinha said the union Home Minister had given a roadmap for Jammu and Kashmir stating that there would be delimitation first, assembly elections second, and restoration of statehood at an appropriate time.
“Some people still seem to have a problem,” the Lieutenant Governor said. “I know when the assembly elections were held, it was clear that they were being conducted for the union Territory assembly. They (elected government) cannot make the excuse that work cannot be done till statehood is restored.”
Sinha emphasized that the government has full powers to govern and serve the people.
“All powers are with the (elected) government. People should not be misled (under the pretext of the absence of statehood),” he asserted, urging the government to use its powers for the betterment of the people of J&K.
Hours after the LG’s remark, CM Omar Abdullah, in a sharp reaction, blamed Sinha for security failure in avoiding the Pahalgam attack. He said the attack has severely hit trade and tourism in the UT.
“The sale of handicrafts is not happening. Our taxis, houseboats, are empty. Why? Because there was an attack in Pahalgam. Who is responsible for the security here? Not me. If it was in my hands, we never would have allowed this to happen in Jammu and Kashmir,” Omar said while addressing a gathering at the inauguration of a bridge in Srinagar.
“I was the Chief Minister for six years….. Show me a place where tourists were targeted. 26 of our guests were killed in Pahalgam. And we are advised to work. We know how to work. Do your work. We will do ours,” the Chief Minister said. Omar asked the Centre to at least hold talks about the statehood restoration.
“What was promised to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the Supreme Court and Parliament, talk about that. Why are these people afraid of statehood Why don’t they want to leave power If the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been promised. If people have voted on the basis of that promise. Then why is that statehood not being fulfilled?,” he asked.
Omar questioned the Centre over the repeated delay in restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, demanding a clear timeline and criteria instead of vague assurances about doing it at the “right time.”
“All major political parties — including the National Conference, Congress, BJP and PDP — had urged people to participate in the assembly elections with the assurance that statehood would be restored afterward. “Ninety MLAs were elected to the Assembly. Tell me, which party did not ask people to vote on the promise of statehood?” he asked.
Criticising the government’s repeated statements that statehood will be restored “at an appropriate time,” Omar demanded transparency. “We have been hearing this for too long. What is the way to measure the ‘right time’” he said.
He urged the Centre to set clear parameters for when Jammu and Kashmir would regain its statehood status. “At least tell us what the goal is — at what point, or under what conditions, will J&K get its statehood back. So that we know what to prepare for,” Omar said, calling for honesty and clarity in fulfilling promises made to the people.
Earlier, the LG, in his address, also called upon the public representatives and government officials to discharge their shared duties to ensuring peace, harmony and maintaining the momentum of J&K’s remarkable growth journey.
“Since 2019, the aspirations of Jammu and Kashmir are linked to the aspirations of the country. We must work with dedication to transform our unity into widespread prosperity. This path will be guided by the vision of the 4 Ps: Peace, Progress, Prosperity, and People First,” the Lieutenant Governor further said.
“An aspirational J&K UT was born on 31st October 2019 and People’s dream of peace and progress was fulfilled within a short span of time,” the Lieutenant Governor said on Friday. He said that “historic” milestones were achieved in infrastructure and other sectors. All forms of discrimination were eliminated and social justice and equality were established.
The Lieutenant Governor asked the people to stand united against the elements trying to disrupt the development process. He said attempts are being made to stall the speed of development and people must be united to see that development process continues unabated.
Speaking on termination of government employees involved in terror activities, the Lieutenant Governor said that this process will continue “till we completely wipe out the terror ecosystem from the governance system”.
