PM has reaffirmed statehood promise to J&K: Farooq Abdullah

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah that the Centre would honour its commitment to restore statehood to the Union Territory.

Addressing reporters in Anantnag district, Abdullah said the Prime Minister had recently reiterated the assurance during his interaction with Omar Abdullah and that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were now waiting for the promise to be fulfilled.

"The Prime Minister has recently told Omar that he will fulfil his promise on restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir," Abdullah said.

The National Conference leader's remarks come amid growing political focus on the issue of statehood restoration, which remains one of the party's key demands since the erstwhile state was bifurcated and reorganised into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in August 2019.

Responding to a question on the delay in approval of business rules for the Jammu and Kashmir government, Abdullah said the National Conference was not seeking only administrative clarity but also the restoration of full statehood.

"We want not only the business rules but also statehood. Statehood is their promise before the world. We are waiting for it," he said.

The business rules are considered crucial for defining the powers and functioning of the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir. Their approval has been awaited since the formation of the Omar Abdullah-led government.

Meanwhile, the National Conference has announced a protest in New Delhi on the opening day of Parliament's upcoming Monsoon Session to press for the restoration of statehood.

The decision was taken at a meeting of ruling party legislators chaired by Omar Abdullah on 3 June.

The Centre has repeatedly stated that statehood would be restored to Jammu and Kashmir at an appropriate time. However, no timeline has been announced so far, prompting opposition parties and regional political groups to intensify their demand for its early restoration.