Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has reiterated the region’s demand for statehood, stressing the unique role the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, plays in the affairs of the Union Territory (UT).
Speaking to reporters in Delhi today Omar, as per the news agency JKNS said, currently Jammu and Kashmir is a UT. They are expecting statehood, but the Home Minister has a different role in the UT. There are a lot of issues on which we need to talk.
Pertinently, the CM’s statement reflects the lingering tension between the aspirations of Jammu and Kashmir’s political leadership and the administrative realities of being a Union Territory.
Significantly, political leaders have been regularly demanding restoration of statehood since the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two UTs in 2019. They see it as an important step toward realizing the democratic and developmental aspirations of people.
It may be recalled that the Home Minister had earlier said that the statehood would be restored “at an appropriate time.”—(JKNS)
