Don't create ruckus, cast your vote: Omar Abdullah targets BJP over statehood

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday accused BJP MLAs of creating a ruckus in the Assembly to avoid voting on a resolution seeking the immediate restoration of statehood to the Union Territory.

Speaking to reporters in the Assembly premises after Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather adjourned the House for 30 minutes following unruly scenes and fistfights among MLAs, Abdullah said the fresh resolution tabled by him did not dilute earlier resolutions on greater autonomy or special status.

He said it was aimed at giving one voice to the demand for the restoration of statehood.

"You saw how the BJP reacted to this. Because they simply do not want to vote on statehood. They want to back out of this vote under one pretext or another," Abdullah said.

He stressed that the House was not being asked to vote on Article 370 or special status, saying those resolutions passed on June 26, 2000 and November 6, 2024 were already the property of the House.

The erstwhile state Assembly had passed a resolution moved by the then government headed by Farooq Abdullah on June 26, 2000, seeking restoration of greater autonomy as it existed before August 9, 1953. On November 6, 2024, the Assembly of the Union Territory had passed a resolution seeking the restoration of special status.

"Today, no one is asking them to vote on Article 370... or special status or autonomy. We are asking for a vote from the BJP solely and exclusively on statehood, and they are not ready," he said.

Rejecting the BJP's charge that the measure was "anti-national", Abdullah challenged the Opposition to identify any unconstitutional language in the text.

"We are simply saying that the Centre must immediately restore full and complete statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Show me one anti-national word used in this resolution," he said.

On BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma's demand for accountability over governance in the past two years, Abdullah said he was ready for a debate on Monday before the House voted.

"I am ready. Bring the discussion on Monday; whatever our performance has been over the past two years, we will place everything before the house. And the difficulties we faced over these two years, the problems we ran into, the hardships we had to confront -- we will bring all of that forward as well. And after that, we hope the house votes on this resolution, and we will send this resolution to the central government," he said.

Abdullah said the Assembly represented the collective voice of the people and urged the BJP's 29 legislators to take part in the debate instead of disrupting proceedings.

"Don't abstain, don't walk out, don't create a ruckus, cast your vote! If you support statehood, vote 'yes'; if you oppose statehood, vote 'no'. Let the people know," he said. He also said BJP MLAs had contested elections in the name of statehood and added, "They constantly remind us of our manifesto, yet they don't remember their own! So today, I tell them again: whatever you want to say, say it inside the house."

On Congress support, Abdullah said he was satisfied that Congress MLAs recognised there was nothing unconstitutional in sending a unified legislative demand to New Delhi. He said the earlier resolutions had been mentioned to avoid any misunderstanding.

"Tomorrow, you might say, 'Look, they abandoned those resolutions and brought this one instead.' That is why we said 'in addition' -- meaning those resolutions remain property of the house. We are not touching those resolutions; they stand in their place. But today, we are bringing a separate resolution on statehood, one that does not dilute earlier resolutions," he said.

Asked why the resolution was needed when his cabinet had passed a similar one two years ago, Abdullah said two years was a very long time for the people of Jammu and Kashmir to wait for statehood.

"Clearly, the voice of the Cabinet was not considered to be the voice of the people. Therefore, since the legislature represents the entire spectrum of political opinion in Jammu and Kashmir... The Cabinet only represents the ruling party, but the legislature represents parties that are not part of the government," he said. Abdullah's remarks summed up his position that the Assembly should decide the matter through a vote on statehood alone.