Amid J-K statehood buzz, Farooq Abdullah reminds Modi Govt of its promise – ‘they said the minute you have elections’

National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah on Monday sought to know from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Union government the timeline for reinstating Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.

Abdullah's remarks come on the eve of six years since Article 370 of Jammu and Kashmir was abrogated and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. 

Also, there has been a strong buzz over the centre planning something on the Jammu and Kashmir ‘statehood,’ more so after PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in the middle of the Monsoon Session of Parliament here on Sunday

The former chief minister held the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the Centre to fulfil its promise and urged it to hold elections to Rajya Sabha seats and not deny people the right to speak about their problems.

"When are they going to return the statehood? They said that the minute you have elections and the government is formed, the statehood will be restored. What has happened to that? Now they are saying that they will hold elections in two vacant assembly seats, but what about elections to four seats in the Rajya Sabha? Why are they denying people the right to get to that house to speak of their problems?" Abdullah told ANI, reminding the Union government of its promise to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. 

Farooq is a three-time chief minister of the erstwhile state, a former Member of Parliament (MP) and ex-Union Minister.

Assembly elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir in 2024.

"I don't see the peace coming. I think we are living in a fool's paradise to think that peace will come overnight. We have a strong neighbour, whether it is China or Pakistan. Somehow, we have to find a way out. War is not a way out. Finally, you have to use a pen and discuss things. How does it hurt us?" he said.

On 6 June, Omar Abdullah raised the issue of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagging off of the maiden train to Kashmir.

On 13 January 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking in Jammu and Kashmir, responded to Omar Abdullah’s reminder to fulfil his promise to restore statehood to the union territory. “The right things are going to happen at the right time,” Modi said.

"There is a lot of speculation about what may be announced tomorrow (5th Aug). The peace in Kashmir has come about at a great cost of human lives of security forces personnel and innocent civilians," Army veteran KJS Dhillon said in one of the posts on X.

"Let the whole thing settle down. Let’s not jump the gun," he said.

Union Home Minister AmitShah called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Sunday. The meeting came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on the President.

The reasons behind the subsequent meetings of the prime minister and the home minister with the President were not known, but these meetings fuelled buzz over some decision about statehood for Jammu and Kashmir

"Union Minister for Home Affairs and Cooperation, Shri AmitShahcalled on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan," the Rashtrapati Bhavan wrote on 'X'.

(With agency inputs)