On Modi’s birthday, CM Omar Abdullah wishes PM would grant J&K statehood
Omar Abdullah presses for Jammu and Kashmir statehood on PM Modi’s birthday
Bharatmorning.com – Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah renewed his call for the restoration of the region’s statehood while extending birthday wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. He said that after years of assurances, Jammu and Kashmir was still waiting for a concrete decision that would reverse its present Union Territory status.
Speaking in Amritsar, where he attended the inauguration of the renovated heritage building of Jammu and Kashmir House on Court Road, Abdullah said restoring statehood would be the most meaningful step the Centre could take for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“What can I say as to what he does… If nothing else, let him grant us statehood; what else could we want?”
Abdullah’s remarks reflected his continuing criticism of what he described as repeated verbal commitments without a written or time-bound promise. He said Jammu and Kashmir had been told that statehood would return after Assembly elections, but that outcome had not materialised.
“You all know what happened with us. We were told that statehood would be restored after the elections. But nothing was given in writing; only verbal assurances were given.”
A demand linked to political representation
Statehood has become one of the most prominent political demands in Jammu and Kashmir following the constitutional changes of August 5, 2019. On that day, the Centre revoked Article 370, which had granted special status to the former state, and divided the territory into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
For many political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, restoring statehood is presented as a necessary step toward bringing back fuller elected authority and strengthening local democratic institutions. The current arrangement places Jammu and Kashmir under a Union Territory framework, unlike its earlier status as a state.
Abdullah said the Centre had earlier laid out a sequence of steps: delimitation of constituencies, Assembly polls and, finally, restoration of statehood. While the first two stages were completed, he argued that the final commitment remains unfulfilled.
“Even in Parliament and in the Supreme Court, this assurance was given. While we saw delimitation and elections in J&K, in which people participated, statehood has not been restored even till now.”
Delimitation redrew Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, while subsequent elections saw voter participation across the region. Abdullah’s position is that these developments should have been followed by a formal return to statehood.
Supreme Court’s direction remains central to debate
The question has also been shaped by the Supreme Court’s December 2023 judgment. The court upheld the decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status and to create the two Union Territories. At the same time, it said Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood should be restored at the earliest possible opportunity.
That direction has continued to feature prominently in political arguments over the region’s future. Abdullah and his National Conference have repeatedly called for the Centre to spell out when statehood will be restored, rather than limiting the matter to broad assurances.
His comments in Amritsar also carried a message for Ladakh, which has its own concerns over constitutional protections for land and employment. Abdullah advised Ladakh’s leaders and residents to seek commitments in writing when discussing safeguards with the Centre.
“Hence, I suggest to people and friends in Ladakh not to trust the Centre’s words… Rather, have them in writing. We did not get anything in writing, and we are at the same place today. J&K has been a victim of the Centre’s verbal assurances.”
The reference underlined the overlap between political concerns in the two Union Territories created in 2019. Although the issues differ, demands related to local rights, land, jobs and representative governance have remained important in public debate.
National Conference signals a sharper campaign
Abdullah has increasingly adopted a more forceful tone on the statehood question. In July, he announced that the National Conference would enter a new phase of its campaign and take the demand more directly to the national capital.
“Enough is enough! There will be no more waiting!”
He made that declaration before party workers, signalling that the party viewed prolonged delay as politically unacceptable. The campaign has sought to keep the issue at the centre of Jammu and Kashmir’s engagement with the Union government.
Later in the same month, Abdullah described statehood as a foundational requirement for any wider discussion about restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s earlier constitutional position. He argued that calls for the return of Article 370 cannot be separated from the demand for statehood.
“We are seeking the base i.e statehood from this government. And Article 370 restoration is meaningless without statehood.”
The statehood issue therefore carries both constitutional and practical significance for Jammu and Kashmir’s political leadership. It concerns the structure of governance, the role of elected representatives and the degree of local authority available within the Indian Union.
For now, Abdullah’s birthday message to the Prime Minister was also a pointed political appeal: a call for the Centre to turn earlier assurances into a formal decision. Whether the government provides a timeline or takes further action on statehood is likely to remain a key test in Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape.
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