04-07-2023 : Omar Abdullah, the leader of the National Conference, expressed the hope that the Supreme Court will accelerate hearings on cases contesting the Centre’s choice to repeal Article 370 and divide the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories. The government decided almost four years ago to repeal Article 370, which gave Jammu and Kashmir special status. The hearings scheduled for July 11 by a five-judge Constitution bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud will be a significant turning point in the legal battle.
Omar Abdullah emphasized that his party has no expectations from the BJP-led NDA government to restore the pre-August 2019 status of Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that they have been consistently voicing their stance that they do not expect the present dispensation to return what was taken away from the region on August 5, 2019. Despite this, he affirmed their commitment to pursue their fight in a peaceful manner, adhering to democratic and constitutional means, in order to reclaim what they believed was unjustly taken from them.
When questioned about the recent political developments in Maharashtra, Omar Abdullah called it unfortunate but not surprising. He remarked that such attempts to destabilize opposition parties and create favorable alliances for the BJP have been witnessed in several states across the country. He cited examples from Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Northeast, Karnataka, and even Jammu and Kashmir, where old parties have been targeted and broken to make way for new parties more aligned with the BJP. Abdullah expressed concern over the prevalence of such practices in the Indian political landscape.
Regarding IAS officer Shah Faesal’s comments on Article 370, Omar Abdullah stated that Faesal had the right to withdraw his petition challenging the decision. Faesal’s decision to withdraw his petition, which was challenging the abrogation of Article 370, stirred some controversy. However, Omar Abdullah maintained that it was Faesal’s prerogative to do so, and nobody had compelled him to file the petition in the first place.
Omar Abdullah accused the BJP of being reluctant to hold polls due to their fear of defeat. He claimed that the BJP was avoiding elections because they were aware that they would not be able to secure even ten seats. He emphasized that the right to hold elections was a democratic entitlement, but the BJP’s hesitance to contest them has created hurdles for the people of Jammu and Kashmir in exercising their democratic rights.