Did Centre succeed in safeguarding the legacy of Maharaja? Omar Abdullah's big poser

Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah, on Thursday seeking to pose two important questions for the Union government, asked what did the Centre do to safeguard two defining legacies of Maharaja Hari Singh-- an extensive blueprint for Jammu and Kashmir and state subject laws under which provisions of employment and land rights found a mention.

During the ongoing session of the Budget session of the J&K UT Assembly, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah weighed in on the controversial Article 370, stating there was no need for a new resolution on its restoration. He argued that the resolution passed by the Assembly in its first sitting last year had not been rejected by the Central government.

On Tuesday, after a verbal skirmish between NC and BJP lawmakers in the state Assembly, Omar Abdullah said there is no comparison between the divided parts of Kashmir as the situation across the border is “very bad” despite a Chinese fillip to Pakistan. He said every part of Jammu and Kashmir is far developed even though “we have never sought help from China, America, England or France to construct our roads.” The CM made the remarks to placate the opposition BJP and ruling National Conference members exchanging heated words over the development in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Meanwhile, the J&K CM today announced that the Bungus Valley in Kupwara district is being developed as an offbeat tourism destination with development works totaling Rs 72 lakh proposed for the area.

Sajjad Lone, the sole legislator from J&K People’s Conference, introduced amendments addressing Article 370, the repeal of the Public Safety Act, and a probe into alleged election rigging during the 1987 Assembly elections. However, Abdul Rahim Rather rejected these amendments on procedural grounds, leading Lone to stage a walkout in protest.

The BJP-led central government’s decision to revoke Article 370 on August 5, 2019, sparked widespread protests and political backlash in the Valley. The revocation was challenged in the Supreme Court, which ruled in December 2023 that the provision was a “temporary” one. The removal of Article 370 stripped J&K of its special status and privileges, and the region was subsequently divided into two Union Territories—J&K and Ladakh. Restoration of Article 370 and statehood had been a key issue in the previous year’s assembly elections, the first to be held in J&K in a decade.