‘We must confront a significant challenge’
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Dec 5: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced today that he will discuss the restoration of Statehood for Jammu and Kashmir with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
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Following the commemoration of SKIMS Hospital’s 42nd foundation day, Omar addressed the media, stating that the Prime Minister and Home Minister were preoccupied with elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. “Now that they have time, we will advocate for the prompt restoration of J&K’s Statehood,” he said.
“We need to confront a significant challenge. Our goal is to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s State status. We anticipate that the Prime Minister will fulfill the commitments he made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir during the parliamentary elections and subsequently during the assembly elections,” he remarked.
Omar emphasized that the residents of J&K engaged actively in both the Assembly and Parliamentary elections to regain the status of State. Click here to watch the video
“The people overwhelmingly participated in both elections, and there were no reports of coercion at the polling booths. They cast their votes voluntarily, driven by the hope that the promises made to them, especially regarding the restoration of Statehood, will be honored,” he stated.
When questioned about the possibility of reinstating the holiday for the NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s birth anniversary, Omar acknowledged that many changes are necessary in J&K, but emphasized that the immediate priority is to restore Statehood.
“There are numerous significant dates, but our primary focus is the restoration of J&K’s Statehood. We remain hopeful that the Prime Minister will uphold his promises made to the residents of J&K during the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections,” Abdullah noted.
Regarding the surveys of mosques, Omar affirmed that every individual has the right to live freely in the country, irrespective of their faith.
“Our Constitution includes the term secular. As long as this term exists within our Constitution, it guarantees that everyone, regardless of their religion or lack thereof, has the right to coexist peacefully in this country. Why is there an attempt to target our religious sites under the guise of a broader agenda? I reiterate this: not all Muslims require appeasement. However, refusing to appease does not justify targeting us. We should not be victimized in the name of non-appeasement,” he stressed.
The Chief Minister condemned the targeting of mosques and the Muslim community’s religious practices as acts of victimization.
“This is not the India that J&K has been a part of. It is not the vision our founding fathers had. It contradicts the secular values enshrined in our Constitution. If you intend to disregard those values, then remove ‘secular’ from our Parliament,” he stated.
On the significance of SKIMS Hospital, Omar highlighted its establishment aimed at ensuring that the residents of J&K do not have to seek tertiary care services outside, such as at PGI or AIIMS.
“This hospital has provided vital services to the people of J&K. However, there are areas that require improvement, including the restoration of SKIMS’ autonomy and its engineering division,” he remarked.
Omar called for a thorough investigation into the attack on Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal.
“We are thankful that he survived. It raises concerns that a former deputy Chief Minister with Z-plus security could be assaulted in broad daylight. This incident calls for an inquiry to prevent future occurrences. Why is this happening? Punjab has faced dark times in the past, and we pray to avoid a resurgence of such a situation,” he concluded.
