Srinagar, Sep 24: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that the situation in Leh should be an eye-opener on how people of Jammu and Kashmir feel about the denial of statehood, even though Ladakh had not been promised one.
He was reacting after the movement for statehood to Ladakh descended into violence, arson, and street clashes here on Wednesday, leaving four people dead and at least 59 injured, including 40 Police personnel.
“Ladakh wasn’t even promised statehood; they celebrated UT status in 2019, and they feel betrayed and angry,” CM Omar posted on his X handle. “Now try to imagine how betrayed and 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, and responsibly.”
Earlier, talking to reporters here, he said that people of J&K cannot be punished for the defeat faced by the BJP in the last Assembly elections.
The CM said that the biggest challenge for the government was its working without statehood.
“Even the Supreme Court was told that this will be a three-step process. First there will be delimitation, then election, then restoration of statehood,” he said.
CM Omar said that besides delimitation, assembly elections were also held with massive public participation.
“It was the BJP’s bad luck that they could not win. But the people of J&K cannot be punished for that. Somewhere it seems that because the BJP could not form a government here, that is why the people of J&K will not get statehood,” he said. “But this is an injustice with the people of J&K because nowhere was it said that if the results are in favour of the BJP, then you will get statehood.”
The CM said that only the BJP was opposing the restoration of statehood to J&K.
Referring to the downfall in tourist footfall, he said they kept trying to start tourism again and expected that tourists from West Bengal, Calcutta, and other states would start coming again.
“But the number we were hoping for, that number has not yet come. Our efforts will continue. Let us see what happens,” CM Omar said.
On criticism by the Leader of Opposition (LoP), he said that the LoP was supposed to criticise the NC government.
“He has to do it as the LoP. The more they oppose us, the better it is because it will seem that we are really working on the ground,” he said.
About the row that erupted over writing ‘I Love Muhammad’ (SAW), the CM said there was no logic to have problems with anyone for writing it.
“Nobody should have any problem with writing these three words, and I don’t understand why it has led to the arrest of people. Only a mentally sick person can have a problem with it and make it an issue,” he said.
CM Omar said that writing ‘I Love Muhammad’ (SAW) was not unlawful in any way.
“Even if it is associated with any particular religion, then again, there is no problem with it. People of other religions also write it. Don’t people of the Sikh community write about their Gurus, and don’t our Hindu brothers write about their Baghwans? Outside Kashmir, you will not find a single vehicle without a picture of Baghwan. If that doesn’t go against the law, then how does writing ‘I Love Muhammad’ (SAW) go against the law,” he said.
A controversy started with the writing of ‘I Love Muhammad’ (SAW) in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur and spiralled into widespread protests by members of the Muslim community across several states apart from Uttar Pradesh, including Uttarakhand, Telangana, and Maharashtra, after people from the Hindu community alleged that it was a new trend and a deliberate provocation.
ADDRESS ROOT CAUSE OF PROBLEMS: MEHBOOBA MUFTI
Meanwhile, former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti said the situation in Ladakh had made it imperative for the Centre to move beyond day-to-day crisis management and address the root cause of the problems.
“It’s time that the Government of India undertakes a sincere and thorough appraisal of what has truly changed since 2019. This video isn’t from Kashmir, considered the epicentre of unrest, but from the heart of Ladakh, where angry protesters have set Police vehicles and a BJP office on fire,” she said in a post on X.
The PDP chief said, Leh, a region long known for its peaceful and measured protests, is now witnessing a disturbing shift toward violent demonstrations.
“People seem to have lost patience, feel betrayed, insecure, and let down by unfulfilled promises,” she said. “It is imperative that the government move beyond day-to-day crisis management and address the root causes of this discontent urgently and transparently.”
