Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has asserted that the restoration of statehood should not be linked to terror incidents in the region. Reacting to the Supreme Court’s hearing on a plea demanding statehood, Abdullah said that militancy has persisted in J&K regardless of its political status, and that the root cause lies in India’s troubled relations with its neighbours, from where terrorism originates.
Abdullah recalled that during his tenure as Chief Minister, several terror attacks took place even when J&K enjoyed statehood, but his government managed to tackle them. He stressed that denying people their rights cannot be justified by citing security concerns and expressed hope that the Supreme Court will ensure the government fulfils its promise of restoring statehood, made both in Parliament and to the public.
The Supreme Court, while hearing the plea, referred to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead. The bench led by Chief Justice of India Bhushan R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran noted that such incidents cannot be overlooked in evaluating the situation, and has sought the Centre’s response on a timeline for restoring statehood.
The demand for statehood continues to receive support from political parties and civil society groups in the valley. While the apex court had previously upheld the abrogation of Article 370, it directed the Centre to conduct assembly elections and move toward restoring statehood. Elections have since been held, but the question of full statehood remains under judicial and political consideration.