Will never join hands with BJP to hasten return of statehood to J-K: CM Abdullah

Srinagar, Oct 18 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday strongly asserted that his party National Conference would never join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party to hasten the return of statehood to the Union territory, indicating a refusal to repeat the "mistakes" of the past made by others.

The NC leader claimed that a deal with the BJP for the return of statehood is "out of the question", making reference to the negative consequences of the 2015 PDP-BJP alliance.

"We have already seen how much that (alliance) ruined J-K. It was a useless coalition between the BJP and the PDP in 2015, and we are still reeling from its effects. I have no desire to make the same mistakes that others did," the chief minister told reporters here.

Abdullah also dared the BJP to be open if the restoration of statehood depended on a BJP-led government in J-K.

"If so, I believe the BJP should be transparent, and let us know that as long as J-K has a non-BJP government, you will never attain statehood. Then we will see what we can do about it," he said, pointing out that the BJP did not make such a condition in its manifestos or promises to Parliament and the Supreme Court.

The chief minister also said he is in active consultation with legal experts regarding the possibility of his office becoming a party to the current batch of pleas placed before the Supreme Court for the re-establishment of statehood.

The Supreme Court is hearing a batch of petitions seeking the restoration of statehood to the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, and on October 10, it directed the Centre to respond in four weeks.

Emphasising his unique status, Abdullah said, "I am the only person in the whole country with the experience of being the chief minister of a state and the chief minister of a UT." Abdullah believes this perspective is crucial to detail the disadvantages of UT status to the apex court.

"That said, it is for my lawyers to advise whether it would actually be beneficial to the people of J-K. If so, I have no hesitation in becoming a party to this case in the SC.

"So, this is something that is actively being discussed with a legal team and based on their opinion, there is a possibility that as chief minister, I will make myself a party to this case," he said.

Asked if he has any hopes with the Supreme Court on the restoration of statehood, Abdullah said, "We should have hopes. But it is also true that somewhere Pahalgam is being linked to the restoration of statehood. The people of J-K do not support it. No one involved in the attack was from J-K." Refusing to go into the politics of it, Abdullah said, "It was repeatedly said in Parliament that there are three steps -- delimitation, election and statehood. Two steps have been taken, now we hope the third will also be done." Abdullah also flagged immediate governance challenges under the Union territory structure, particularly the confusion over appointments.

He noted that while his government appointed an advocate general shortly after taking office, the individual "has not been allowed to work", despite the role being the "legal face of the government".

"We appointed an advocate general within days of coming to power. We asked the existing AG to continue but he was asked not to attend office. Technically, we have an AG but he has not been allowed to work," the NC vice-president said.

Abdullah also said he believes that the authority to appoint an advocate general rests with the elected government.

"The absence of an AG is not good for us. He is the legal face of the government," he said.

Addressing the recent unrest in the Union territory of Ladakh, the chief minister expressed strong disappointment, saying it was "extremely unfortunate" that promises, such as granting Sixth Schedule protection, were not kept.

"The people of Ladakh were pushed to the wall. Do you want to push the people of Jammu and Kashmir to the wall as well," he asked, linking the crisis to a broader pattern of unfulfilled pledges in the region.

He also called for parity in domicile laws between the two Union territories carved out of the erstwhile state of J-K in 2019.

On the November 11 Assembly bypoll to two seats in J-K, Abdullah said the NC has offered Nagrota to its ally Congress, and would announce its candidate for Budgam in the next 24-48 hours.

The NC has officially given the Nagrota Assembly seat to its coalition partner Congress, he said.

The decision, he added, is an attempt to assist the Congress in "building a strong base in Jammu", even though the NC secured Nagrota in the 2014 elections, and fielded its nominee in last year's polls.

The Budgam seat was vacated after Abdullah's resignation to hold on to the Ganderbal seat, while Nagrota fell vacant following the death of incumbent BJP MLA Devinder Singh Rana on October 31, 2024.

Abdullah also addressed the controversy surrounding changes to the Union territory's reservation policy, confirming that the Cabinet sub-committee's report has been accepted and is being prepared for the lieutenant governor's (LG) final approval.

Responding to opposition's accusation that his government is slashing the quota for the Resident of Backward Area (RBA) category, Abdullah refused to comment on the report's specifics, stating it would be inappropriate before it reaches the Raj Bhawan.

"There is a procedure, which is being followed," he said, dismissing calls to make the report public immediately.

"I am the last person who can be pressurised to do something... The moment the honourable LG signs the Cabinet memo, all information will be put in front of the people," he said.

Abdullah also commented on tourism, saying that attempts to restart the Union territory's important tourism industry would succeed only if important places, shut down after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, were promptly reopened.

He regretted the closure of some famous areas such as Doodhpathri, Drang, and sections of Gulmarg, highlighting that these locations were open even during the height of terrorism in the last 35 years.

"First, we have to open the venues that have been closed. We did not close these venues in 35 years. During the peak militancy time, Drang or Doodhpathri were not closed, the upper regions of Gulmarg were not closed, the Aru valley was not closed," Abdullah said.

"I believe the time has come to demonstrate some guts and open these regions for tourism so that there is no confusion. Then we will be able to market these regions properly," he said.

The chief minister justified the attention his government gives to the tourism sector, citing that it caters to the livelihood of thousands of families.

"We are trying at our own level despite being subjected to taunts. Why are we doing so much tourism promotion? Because we know that the homes of lakhs of people depend on it," he stressed.

However, Abdullah pointed to a damaging contradiction within the J-K administration.

While acknowledging support from the Centre, he said, "Unfortunately, we are talking in two voices from within J-K. On one hand, the elected government talks about tourism promotion, but on the other, the unelected government has kept a large part of Kashmir closed for tourism." He warned that keeping these destinations shut sends a negative signal to the visitors.

"If these people are afraid and are not ready to open these places, it means there is danger. That is the reason tourists are not coming," he said. PTI SSB MIJ SKL ARI