“People Can’t Be Punished for BJP’s Loss”: Omar Abdullah Attacks Centre for not restoring Statehood

Srinagar 24 September :- In a stinging criticism of the Central government, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said  that the denial of statehood was an unfair “punishment” inflicted on the people for their democratic decision.

                Abdullah explained that BJP’s resistance to the revival of statehood seems to be a result of its inability to establish a government in the state following elections. “The citizens went through the democratic exercise in good faith,” he said, “but it appears the return of our basic status is held hostage to the fortunes of the ruling party.

           ” He was gravely disappointed that with the delimitation exercise being completed and the elections held according to the Centre’s own declared schedule, the last and most important step of statehood remains embarrassingly missing, giving rise to an aura of uncertainty and preventing sectors such as tourism from realizing their full potential.