SRINAGAR: J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah said Friday the special resolution passed earlier this month by the assembly for restoration of the territory’s special status had “not been rejected” by the Centre and “the door is open”. He declared that Congress’s reported denials of having backed the resolution “would not make any difference”, suggesting the party was doing so after coming under attacks from BJP in the Maharashtra and Jharkhand election campaigns.
Omar was speaking after presiding over the National Conference (NC) cabinet’s first meeting in Jammu where LG Manoj Sinha’s address to the inaugural assembly session a few weeks ago was approved.
“From the first day, we have been striving to regain statehood for J&K. There are certain demands from people that we cannot fulfil under current Union Territory (UT) status. The critical point is that the resolution was not rejected but passed. A door has been opened. Congress is not part of our govt. They support us from outside,” the CM said.
Omar pointed out the resolution was “brought forward” by his govt. “Apart from BJP, most MLAs, including those from Congress, supported it. BJP then targeted Congress, pressuring them to backtrack, but this will not impact the resolution,” the CM said.
Omar pointed to BJP’s move to raise the issue in Jharkhand and Maharashtra poll campaigns, saying this was an “answer to those who said the resolution means nothing”.
Earlier in the day, Omar announced a sub-committee to address issues related to reservations, an issue that has sparked discontent and protests after quotas touched nearly 70% in the years following the abrogation of special status in 2019.
“The cabinet has decided to establish a three-member sub-committee of ministers to take a holistic view of the reservation issue. They will review past actions, including Supreme Court rulings, and evaluate whether the govt’s steps are aligned with those directives. The sub-committee will provide recommendations for future decisions so that everyone’s rights are protected,” the chief minister said.
Omar’s reassurances came amid threats by one of his NC MPs, Aga Syed Ruhullah, to hold a dharna outside the CM’s residence to press for “rationalisation” of reservations. The disaffection among unemployed youths was stoked after J&K Public Service Commission recently advertised 575 posts of school lecturers, of which 337 (nearly 59%) were meant for reserved categories and only 238 for others.
A recent govt labour survey concluded that J&K had the highest unemployment rate (32%) in the country among urban youths. Omar’s cabinet emphasised the urgency of unemployment, terming it a “grave issue” that demands immediate action.
“The CM directed all ministers to initiate measures within their departments to tackle unemployment. We will fulfil everything promised in the election manifesto. It has only been a month since our govt took charge. In the next two months, we will ensure visible progress,” minister Javed Rana said after the cabinet meeting.
Asked about release of political prisoners — another of NC’s key poll promises — chief minister Omar said: “For that we need a state, police, law and order. Security is with the Centre and is looked after by LG.”