Srinagar, June 24 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that he won’t hesitate to dissolve the Assembly if it is imperative for restoration of statehood.
Omar was responding to reports in a section of media which indicated that the Centre might agree to restore J&K’s statehood, but only on the condition that fresh elections are held to elect a new government under the revamped framework.
“…I have read in a newspaper that the statehood will be restored. But for that, the Assembly elections will have to be held. Do it. Who stopped it? We are not worried about our (Assembly) seats,” Omar told reporters in Gulmarg.
He said the story was “planted” only so that the MLAs would get scared.
“These stories are being planted to scare MLAs into submission, to make them say ‘no, no, leave it, we’ll wait five years.’ But let me be clear: this statehood is not for MLAs or any government. It is for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and we MLAs will not become an obstacle in this,” he said.
The day the Government of India restores statehood, I will ask the Governor to dissolve the Assembly the very next day. Don’t try to intimidate us. Statehood is our right, not a privilege.”
Omar said that he is ready to recommend the dissolution of the Assembly if that is what it takes to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“If we are being threatened that the Assembly has to be dissolved for statehood, do it. The day you restore statehood, I will ask the Governor to dissolve the Assembly the very next day. Don’t try to scare us,” Omar said.
The Chief Minister said statehood is a right of the people.
At a separate event, National Conference president and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah claimed that Jammu and Kashmir is being denied statehood due to its religious identity.
“What other reason could there be? Are we enemies of India? We chose to join India when Pakistan was right next to us,” Farooq told reporters in South Kashmir, when asked to clarify his earlier remark that “statehood is not being restored to J&K because we are Muslims.”
Recently, Abdullah threatened to move the Supreme Court against the delay in the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood
UNI
