A day after the BJP cautioned against hasty restoration of statehood, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah admitted on Thursday that getting back statehood was the biggest challenge before the National Conference government.
Interacting with media persons on the occasion of the new year, Omar Abdullah reminded the Union Government about the promise of restoring statehood.
"We are hopeful that the Central Government will fulfill its promise of restoring statehood as the present UnionTerritory status of Jammu and Kashmir is a temporary phase", he said.
When asked whether the government will approach the court of law as the Supreme Court in its judgment had also stated that the statehood should be restored as soon as possible, Omar said: "Going to the court for statehood would be a fight. That should be our last option. Our first option is to remind the Central government of their promises. We have the right of recourse to courts. People of Jammu and Kashmir are expecting that the Central Government will fulfill the promises."
"The authority should be with one person only. You will never find the dual power system in offices or elsewhere, as things work smoothly in a single power system," he added.
CM Abdullah said that this model of governance in the Union Territory was not beneficial to anyone, and when there was a single centre of command, the system worked better.
BJP cautioned against restoring statehood in a hasty manner
On Wednesday, BJP made it clear that statehood would be restored at the appropriate time. The party said that while contesting Assembly elections, Omar Abdullah was very much aware that he would be the Chief Minister of a Union Territory where the powers of the government are defined.
"Without looking into financial viabilities, the NC had promised many things to the people during the election campaign without any roadmap", Sethi said
On the demand for the restoration of statehood, the BJP spokesperson Sunil Sethi said that those at the helm of affairs were keenly waiting for the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Any hasty decision in this regard would prove disastrous for Jammu and Kashmir. All aspects have to be taken into consideration before taking any decision on the restoration of statehood," he said.
There is a difference of opinion, not confrontation: Omar Abdullah
The Chief Minister said that there have been differences of opinion with the Raj Bhavan on some issues, but not on the scale being speculated. Such reports are figments of imagination. There has been no confrontation with the Raj Bhavan.
The Chief Minister said that he is not one of those who forbid people from going to the Raj Bhavan. Omar Abdullah said, "I would say that people should go wherever their issues can be resolved. Be it Raj Bhavan or a local MLA or officer, people can go anywhere to get their issues resolved," he said.
NC is a democratic party
When asked about the protest of his party's Lok Sabha member Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on the issue of reservation, Abdullah said that the National Conference (NC) is often accused of being a family party. "But we have always said that we are a democracy and everyone has the right to speak," he said.
"People had protested and reached my doorstep. After that, we had a meeting," he said, referring to the anti-reservation protest near his residence in Gupkar, in which his party MP Mehdi had also participated.
The Chief Minister said that as far as reservation was concerned, he has told the representatives of the students that a Cabinet subcommittee has been formed.
Responding to a question about the Raj Bhavan not restoring public holidays on December 5 as NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah's birthday and July 13 as Martyrs' Day, the Chief Minister said that this cannot erase the legacy of those who have sacrificed.
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah's legacy does not start and end on December 5. The same applies to the martyrs of July 13. "When a farmer plows his land, he thinks of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah's legacy is when a student gets free or subsidized education", he said.
A terrorist's son is not a terrorist: Omar
When asked about the difficulties faced by candidates due to police verification for appointment to government jobs, Abdullah said it was out of his jurisdiction right now, but he has discussed the matter with the CID chief.
"I have been saying this for a long time that a terrorist's son is not a terrorist," he said.
