'It's odd': NC chief Abdullah shocked by Amit Shah’s assurance of restoring J&K statehood

On Sunday, Farooq Abdullah, the leader of the National Conference, has been taken aback by Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remark that Jammu and Kashmir's statehood would be restored after the assembly elections. He stated that people's desires and aspirations must be satisfied for long-term stability in the Union territory.

This comes after Home Minister Amit Shah, during his ongoing visit to the valley, announced that Jammu & Kashmir’s statehood will be restored after state assembly elections and the delimitation process would take place in the valley.

Farooq Abdullah surprised over Amit Shah’s assurance of restoring J&K’s statehood

Abdullah, who is also on a visit to the different regions of the valley, was astounded by the central leadership's logic, and further said that it is probably the first time that a state has been transformed and downgraded as a Union territory.

 "Elections will happen. (Politicians from Kashmir want that the) Delimitation is stopped. Why? Because it hurts their politics. Now, such things will not stop in Kashmir. The youth of Kashmir will get opportunities, so a right delimitation will be done, which will be followed by elections and then the status of the statehood will be restored. I have said this in the country's Parliament and this is the roadmap," Shah had said during his visit to J&K.

PM Modi wants to win hearts of people in valley but it can’t be done by devaluing the state: Farooq Abdullah

"It's odd," he remarked, recalling an all-party meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi a few months ago during which he raised similar concerns. "Modi had stated at the time that the divide between New Delhi and J-K would have to be overcome by winning the hearts and minds of the people," he said as reported by PTI.

The NC leader remarked that degrading the status of Jammu and Kashmir, which was bifurcated and subsequently reduced, cannot win hearts. The NC president argued that peace in the region would not persist unless a safe environment is created for discussions between India and Pakistan. He also condemned the attempts to divide society for political gain, saying that this is bad for the country's unity and people's integration.

"The nation cannot afford to get fragmented into bits and pieces on the basis of religion. Elections were not to be fought on religion, as these provide an opportunity to put in place-responsive governments which serve the people in terms of development and economic emancipation," he said.

The former Chief Minister expressed severe worry about the loss of life and damage to standing crops and orchards in Jammu and Kashmir as a result of heavy rains, hailstorms, and strong winds.

With PTI Inputs

Image: PTI/ Twitter/ @Amitshah