Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that he has been assured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the governance model in the union territory will change, hinting that statehood will be restored.
On his return from two-day meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Omar held a meeting with his cabinet ministers and administrative Secretaries of all the departments at the Civil Secretariat here.
The CM also met Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Roads, Highways and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday. He gifted them Kashmiri shawls which his opponents in Kashmir called "shawl diplomacy."
Omar administered an integrity pledge to his cabinet ministers and officials on the 'Vigilance Awareness Week 2024'. "There is zero tolerance for corruption," Omar told the officers. However, he warned them not take exploit the "hybrid model" of governance as it is temporary and statehood will be restored.
"I am acutely aware that we have, unfortunately, at the moment, a rather hybrid model of operating. And I have a feeling, and I am going to say this regardless of the consequences, some may feel that they can exploit this system to their advantage; that they can find loopholes in this system in Jammu & Kashmir that we have at the moment. But please, rest assured this is very much a temporary phase.
"I have just come back from very successful meetings in Delhi. I have received assurances at the highest level that the commitments made to Jammu and Kashmir, particularly with regard to our governance model will change," Omar told the officials.
This is the first statement of Omar Abdullah after returning from his meeting with the PM and the HM in New Delhi. However, there was no official statement or an X post from the PMO office about the meeting.
"And, therefore, if there is anybody who believes that, the fact we are a UT, will shield you from the consequences of the practices that go against this pledge, please remember the shield may last temporarily; but it is only temporary. And that once full statehood is restored to Jammu and Kashmir, there will be no loopholes to exploit or any advantages to be taken by playing one against the other. So, please keep that in mind as we conduct ourselves over the course of time," he said.
Jammu and Kashmir was downgraded and divided into two union territories on August 5, 2019, by the BJP-led Centre when its special status was abrogated.
Before the Assembly elections, Omar had shown reluctance to contest polls arguing that a UT Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir will have to beg before the Lieutenant Governor for debuting a peon to the CM office. Omar was indicating at the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019 which empowers the LG more than an elected Chief Minister.
In an interview to ETV Bharat after his election win, Omar had said that the Centre had promised to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir after delimitation and assembly elections.
"So, delimitation and Assembly elections are now complete, the statehood should be restored as has been promised to us in the floor of the parliament," he had said.
