Trump backs J&K statehood? Omar Abdullah shares satirical post to mock BJP

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday stepped up his attack on the BJP over the long-pending demand for the restoration of statehood by sharing a satirical fake social media post purportedly from US President Donald Trump.

The parody post jokingly portrays Trump endorsing the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood and praising Abdullah's campaign, a day after the CM quipped that perhaps he might have to approach the US President since the Centre had failed to fulfil its promise.

The fake post, styled like one of Trump's trademark social media messages, depicts the US President enthusiastically backing Abdullah's campaign for statehood.

"Big things happening in Jammu & Kashmir! I have to give a big shoutout to my friend, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. What a guy! He's working hard, talking smart, and fighting for statehood like a lion (without the roar... mostly)," the satirical post on X depicting Trump reads.

"Let's bring back Statehood and make Jammu and Kashmir GREAT AGAIN! Believe me, nobody restores better than me... except maybe Omar in J&K," the post added.

Abdullah shared the parody with a brief caption, "If Only", on Monday.

WHY ABDULLAH INVOKED TRUMP TO MOCK THE BJP

The satirical post comes amid an ongoing political tussle between the National Conference-led government and the BJP over the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.

Addressing a public meeting at Maharaja Hari Singh Park in Jammu on Sunday, Abdullah announced that his party would begin a fresh agitation from July 20, with a protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on the opening day of Parliament's Monsoon Session.

"We pursued the restoration of statehood for nearly two years, giving enough time to the Central government to fulfil its promise made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir," Abdullah said.

He added that the National Conference would now adopt "a new method" to press the demand.

Taking a swipe at the BJP, Abdullah remarked, "Let the BJP tell us whether we have to go to US President Donald Trump for statehood and hold a dharna outside the White House. Until then, we will protest in our own national capital."

The protest will be the first major demonstration led by the ruling National Conference against the Centre since it formed the government following the 2024 Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.

The restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood has remained one of the region's most significant political demands since August 2019, when the Narendra Modi government abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

While the Centre has repeatedly stated that statehood would be restored at an appropriate time, no timeline has been announced.

CM ABDULLAH'S BRIBING OF MLAs ALLEGATIONS AND BJP's LEGAL NOTICE TO THE CM

The exchange over statehood has unfolded alongside another political confrontation in the region. The BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit has served a legal notice on Abdullah after he alleged that the saffron party was attempting to lure National Conference MLAs with cash and ministerial positions in an effort to destabilise his government.

Demanding evidence for the allegation, the BJP warned that it would file a Rs 100-crore defamation suit unless Abdullah substantiates his claims or issues a public apology.

Responding to the notice, Abdullah dismissed it as a "love letter" by the BJP.

"I have received a letter from a lawyer... I consider this a great honour as I am the only politician in Jammu and Kashmir to have been bestowed with a love letter like this by the BJP. I consider it a mark of respect that I am obviously a political force in Jammu and Kashmir that they cannot ignore," Abdullah said while speaking to journalists at the National Conference headquarters.

Abdullah further criticised the BJP's response, saying he had made a political allegation and expected a political rebuttal.

"It is symbolic of the way the BJP fights. They take political fights and hide behind the courts," Abdullah said.

With the July 20 protest approaching, CM Abdullah has signalled that the National Conference intends to intensify its campaign for statehood both politically and symbolically. His satirical "Trump endorsement" underscores the party's central charge that, despite repeated assurances from the Centre, Jammu and Kashmir continues to wait for the restoration of the statehood promised after its reorganisation in 2019.