Statehood talks with Centre haven't stalled: Jammu & Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said discussions regarding statehood with the Centre have not stalled. The fact that it was mentioned at the recent NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi is evidence that the talks are ongoing, he said. "If you were to take out the formal speech circulated at the NITI Aayog meeting, you will find a categorical mention for the return of statehood in that. It was given to the PM and all the members of the governing council of NITI Aayog. So, the conversation around statehood is not stalled," said Abdullah, adding, "The only thing I was unwilling to do was to talk about statehood at the special session of the assembly following the Pahalgam attack. But that doesn't mean the conversation is stopped... The conversation is ongoing."

Abdullah chaired a meeting of administrative secretaries in Gulmarg, attended by his cabinet ministers. Holding such a meeting in Gulmarg was a symbolic gesture by the UT to infuse confidence among people across the country to visit J&K. Infact, the tourism sector across J&K suffered a huge setback after the Baisaran attack on April 22. According to officials, 85% of visitors have cancelled their visits following the attack and it is very difficult to revive the sector at a fast pace.

"We want to send a clear message that J&K is open for tourism. The silence that followed the attack affected the region, but our presence here is a step towards making the city lively again. This will aid both in boosting public confidence and promoting the region. We are committed to normalising the situation," said Abdullah. He said that for the first time, the people of Kashmir came forward to condemn the attack and no politician or religious leader can take credit for it. "People themselves came forward and condemned the Pahalgam attack and it shouldn't be forgotten," Abdullah said.


On the coordination between the UT government and the Raj Bhavan, Abdullah said security and law and order is not the responsibility of the government but falls under the purview of LG.