Ahmedabad: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called for the restoration of security responsibilities to the elected government in the Union Territory. Speaking during his Gujarat visit, Omar Abdullah said it was unjust for elected representatives to be denied full authority, including over law and order.
Addressing a press conference at the Hyatt Hotel in Ahmedabad after attending the Travel Expo in Gandhinagar, Abdullah strongly criticised the continued Union Territory status of Jammu and Kashmir. “We are not some worthless people,” he remarked. “If people elect us to govern, then we must be entrusted with full responsibilities.”
His remarks came just days after he skipped a security review meeting chaired by the Union Home Minister in Delhi. When asked about his absence, Omar Abdullah responded, “Security falls under the domain of the Lieutenant Governor. That’s the reality. Still, I stay informed, I know where security forces are deployed and what steps are being taken. We are reopening tourist sites gradually and carefully.”
Omar Abdullah as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust also expressed frustration over the delay in restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. “We are the only unfortunate people in the country whose state was downgraded to a Union Territory. Everywhere else, UTs are being granted statehood, but we are still waiting,” he said.
Reflecting on his tenure as Chief Minister between 2009 and 2015, Abdullah said that his government had made significant strides in improving the security situation. “Militancy incidents and casualties among security forces had dropped. If we are given full charge again, we will make Kashmir safer than before,” he asserted. [KNT]
