Had no info about Congress' J&K statehood protest: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the Congress did not raise the issue of restoration of statehood at the recent INDIA bloc meeting. He said the Congress, which is in alliance with the NC-led government in J&K, did not inform them about the recent protest demanding restoration of statehood.

"Nobody spoke to us (on the protests demanding statehood). We read about this in the newspapers," said Abdullah, adding, "If they had mentioned (restoration of statehood of J&K) at the previous INDIA bloc meeting, we would have joined (the protest)."

He said his party was the first to undertake the responsibility to strive for the restoration of statehood. "We passed the resolution (on statehood) in cabinet. We brought the resolution on statehood in the assembly," said Abdullah.


The Congress has maintained a strategic silence on Article 370. They have not joined the Abdullah-led cabinet yet, but the CM has made public remarks that of the three vacant cabinet berths, one is for the Congress.