J&K statehood with BJP as ally? Omar Abdullah takes firm stand

Speaking at an event in the Achabal area of Anantnag district, Abdullah said he was not ready to make any political compromise for statehood

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he would rather resign than enter an alliance with the BJP to hasten statehood for the Union Territory.

Speaking at an event in the Achabal area of Anantnag district, Abdullah said he was not ready to make any political compromise for statehood.

"If you (people) are ready, then tell me, because I am not ready to make that trade. If it is needed to include the BJP in the government, then accept my resignation. Make any MLA here the chief minister and form the government with the BJP," he said.

He also said had he included the BJP in the government; the statehood might have been restored sooner.

"Should we have included the BJP in the government? There was a possibility that by including the BJP in the government, we could get a gift. They would have granted statehood to us sooner," he said.

He was referring to the 2015 PDP-BJP arrangement and argued that a government could have been formed in Jammu and Kashmir without the BJP’s participation.

“The Congress and the National Conference were willing. Yet the excuse of giving representation to the BJP was made,” he said.

He noted that his administration had ensured regional representation for Jammu and Pir Panjal without bringing the BJP into the fold, pointing out that the deputy chief minister now hails from Jammu despite the BJP’s exclusion.

Abdullah said he would persist in the campaign for statehood but insisted the struggle would remain peaceful and constitutional.

His comments came days after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was detained under the provisions of the National Security Act (NSA) over the recent protests in Leh. A large section of people have been demanding statehood for Ladakh.

The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmirand Ladakh following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

Last week, Abdullah, while speaking to reporters in Srinagar, said BJP was the only political party opposing the restoration of statehood. He said the biggest challenge before his 11-month-old government is that J&K is not a state. "Sometimes it looks like people of J&K will not get statehood because BJP lost the assembly elections in 2024. This is an injustice because nowhere was it said that statehood will be restored only if the BJP wins," Abdullah told reporters. "If there is opposition to the restoration of statehood, it is coming only from BJP."