Mehbooba Mufti slams Omar Abdullah for ‘reducing’ J&K struggles to statehood issue

PDP chief says people demand dignity, rights, and protection of land, not just statehood

The political debate in Jammu and Kashmir took a sharp turn on Wednesday as PDP president Mehbooba Mufti accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of “oversimplifying” the struggles of J&K and Ladakh by portraying them merely as a demand for statehood.

In a strongly worded post on X, Mufti said that the people’s concerns run much deeper, centred around dignity, land, jobs, identity, and even special status, and narrowing the issue to statehood plays directly into the BJP’s narrative.

Mehbooba’s counter to Omar

“While violence of any kind is absolutely condemnable, let us be clear. To reduce the struggles of Jammu and Kashmir to the issue of statehood alone, as @OmarAbdullah does, is not only misleading but also a deliberate attempt to diminish a much deeper and more complex reality,” Mufti wrote.

While violence of any kind is absolutely condemnable, let us be clear. To reduce the struggles of Jammu and Kashmir to the issue of statehood alone, as @OmarAbdullah does, is not only misleading but also a deliberate attempt to diminish a much deeper and more complex reality.…

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) September 24, 2025

She added that Ladakh’s recent violent protests highlight how locals fear losing control over their land, livelihoods, and cultural identity. “Even in Ladakh today, people are openly expressing their discontent, driven by a fear of losing control over their land, livelihoods, and identity,” she said.

According to Mufti, ignoring these wider aspirations risks reducing the movement to a single point — statehood — while the real fight has always been about rights, dignity, and protection of resources.

Omar Abdullah’s defence of statehood demand

Omar Abdullah, meanwhile, expressed disappointment that Jammu and Kashmir’s long-standing demand for statehood remains unmet.

Reacting to the Ladakh protests, the Chief Minister said, “Ladakh wasn’t even promised Statehood, they celebrated UT status in 2019 & they feel betrayed & angry. Now try to imagine how betrayed & disappointed we in J&K feel when the promise of statehood to J&K remains unfulfilled even though we have gone about demanding it democratically, peacefully & responsibly.”

Abdullah stressed that J&K’s demand has been peaceful and democratic, yet the Centre has not delivered on its promise, leaving people 'betrayed and disappointed.'

The debate between the two leaders comes against the backdrop of massive protests in Leh this week, where demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule inclusion spiralled into violent clashes with police. Demonstrators torched vehicles and attacked the BJP office in Leh, forcing authorities to impose restrictions to restore order.