Jammu, Oct 16: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday asserted that he only wanted the Government of India, the Prime Minister of India to walk their talk and “fulfill the promise made to people of J&K vis-à-vis restoration of statehood.”
“If questions are posed to us about promises made in our manifesto, they (BJP) are also answerable to people. Why are they not fulfilling their promise to restore statehood – which they say- will only come from the Centre? Why is it (statehood) not coming despite promises made in the Parliament and in the Supreme Court,” was his poser, as a dig at the political adversary.
The Chief Minister was responding to questions in the press conference at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan in the National Conference office at Jammu.
The presser marked the completion of one-year of the Omar-led government in J&K on Thursday, October 16, 2025.
During the press conference, while responding to queries about NC’s decisions about Rajya Sabha nominations, evoking criticism from non-BJP parties and even the alliance partner Congress, the Chief Minister hinted that his party was ready for negotiations with the ally (Congress) regarding Nagrota assembly by-poll. In case of a better Congress candidate, the NC would not object to entering into an agreement with the alliance partner, he said.
WILL NOT GIVE UP ON DEMAND FOR STATEHOOD
The Chief Minister stated that it had been entirely a different experience to work under the Union Territory (UT) set-up.
“We were hoping that the central government would fulfil its promise made to J&K people vis-à-vis restoration of statehood within the first year of installation of elected government. However, so far it did not happen. However, we will not give up and will continue endeavours on this account,” he said.
“We still believe that the statehood restoration is the magical potion to resolve all issues in J&K and ills plaguing it. I reiterate my request from the soil of Jammu to the Government of India, the Prime Minister and his entire team to fulfil the promise made to us on the floor of the Parliament and in the Supreme Court and restore statehood to J&K,” CM Omar said.
Confronted with a query about how long NC will wait for statehood, he stated, “Do I have an alternative other than it (to wait)? I hope I have this as an alternative – not to wait. What will we do? We have all the options open. I’m not among those persons who threaten or adopt coercive methods to get something. I’m still hopeful that the promise made to the people of J&K will be fulfilled, without requiring any coercive tactics or creating a scenario where the situation goes out of hand.”
He also used the occasion to target BJP on this account, stating, “On the one hand, the party (BJP) was posing questions to the NC vis-à-vis promises made in its (NC’s) manifesto. It is well within its right to seek answers. But at the same time, it should also answer why it did not fulfill its promise to grant statehood so far – which was the first promise in its manifesto.”
“I still remember that the (BJP) party leaders, during the election time, used to taunt us, saying that the statehood will come from the Centre. If it is to come from New Delhi, why has it not come so far?” he questioned.
“So far, we have been patiently waiting…but if it does not happen soon, we will have another press conference to share our next course of action. However, up to now, that time has not come,” CM Omar asserted.
IS BJP DELAYING STATEHOOD TO BE PART OF GOVERNMENT?
In response to another related question if the delay in statehood was a pressure tactic to make BJP part of the government, the Chief Minister remarked, “It would be regrettable if the people were deprived of statehood only due to the reason that the BJP could not form its government. BJP had never stated – neither in the Parliament nor in the Supreme Court- that statehood would be granted only if it came to power. They had only talked about a sequence – delimitation, election and statehood. There were no ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’.”
“Now if they are trying to compel us in this manner – they will not grant statehood till they are included in the government. Then I’ll take it that there will be no statehood for the next four years. Because after getting this huge mandate from the people, we will not allow the conspiracy of BJP to succeed. Had the people wanted BJP in the government, they would have elected them. And we have no intention to allow the backdoor entry of BJP (in the government),” he asserted.
He stated that he never used the ‘statehood issue’ as an excuse to shirk his or his government’s responsibilities.
“I’m only reiterating that the central government promised it. Should it not fulfill its promise? Majority of the members in the J&K Legislature had promised it (statehood) to get elected. Who is accusing us of using ‘statehood’ as an excuse to evade work or responsibilities. It is LoP – whose abbreviation has been appropriately defined by the Deputy Chief Minister. Answer to this question lies in his designation itself i.e., the Leader of Opposition. His work is to oppose and mine is to perform. He is doing his job (to oppose), I’m doing my work and I’ll continue to do so,” the Chief Minister asserted.
ON RAJYA SABHA ‘POLLNOMICS’
In response to a question related to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and the former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s remarks that her party would vote for NC in the biennial Rajya Sabha election if it (NC) supported and passed the party’s three bills, including anti-land eviction bill, in the J&K legislature in its ensuing autumn session, the Chief Minister said that he had not seen the statement yet.
“Dr Sahab (Farooq Abdullah), while speaking to her to seek PDP’s support, had simply told that the contest was against the BJP. Since there was no other candidate in the fray, the abstention would benefit the BJP only. Even to abstain will be equivalent to the support for BJP,” he said.
“As far as the issue – to support and give approval to those bills to get (PDP) votes against BJP- is concerned, I cannot talk about the bills which have not been tabled (in the House) yet. Before the Bills become our (House’s) property, they are the property of the Speaker. First the Speaker decides as to which bills will be tabled in the House. Many bills are submitted. But which bills are approved and then which bills are finally listed – that neither Mehbooba Mufti nor I can decide right now,” he added.
CM Omar added that his party would not obstruct any bill which aimed at serving the wider interests of people. “Let the bills first come in the House then it will be seen. We will not create any obstruction in case of any bill, which is in the interest of people and which the Assembly will want to pass. I cannot intrude into the jurisdiction of the Speaker while sitting here. At the moment, I’ll say only that if the Bill gets listed and tabled in the House, we will surely consider it and will not dismiss anything out of hand,” he assured.
In the same vein, while responding to queries related to the criticism of NC (by PDP, PC and others) for its decisions regarding RS polls, the Chief Minister stated that he had requested even Sajad Lone (the Peoples Conference president) not to abstain in the RS polls. “If someone does not vote for NC, it means that the person is serving the interest of BJP. After abstaining, would Sajad Lone be able to explain to his people in Handwara why he worked to serve the BJP’s interests? This question can be answered by Lone only.”
Regarding Congress, he said, “There is no distance or difference between the alliance partners. Regarding RS polls seats, 3-1 decision was taken. I myself spoke to the AICC general secretary and clearly stated that there was no question of negotiation on the first two seats. I tried to make him understand that the possibility of winning all seats will be maximum only, if the Congress contests.”
Had the Congress been in the fray, even the votes of PDP, which is also part of INDIA Bloc, would have gone to it (Congress), the Chief Minister remarked.
“I told him that the PDP was not with us but it would vote for Congress. In that scenario, the negotiations, presently being made (by PDP) with the NC – a kind of barter, would not have been made and it (PDP) would have voted for Congress,” he said.
NC WILLING TO NEGOTIATE WITH CONGRESS ON NAGROTA SEAT
Moving to assembly by-polls, the Chief Minister said that the negotiations were underway with the Congress regarding Nagrota assembly segment.
“If the Congress has a better candidate for Nagrota in that scenario, we will be willing to enter into an agreement with it (Congress). NC will have no objection,” he asserted.
MANIFESTO TO BE JUDGED ON 5-YEAR PERFORMANCE
When asked if he was satisfied with his government’s first-year performance, his precise answer was that the self-appraisal would not matter. “What matters is the satisfaction of the people, who have to vote after four years. As far as I’m concerned, I feel that in the given scenario, we could not have performed better than it (what we did). We will further improve our performance in the times to come– that is my hope,” he said.
In his very opening statement, the Chief Minister reaffirmed that his party’s electoral promises were a ‘solemn pledge’ made to the people and would be fulfilled during the five years of his regime. The performance of the government vis-à-vis its manifesto should be judged only after five years, he said.
“We assumed the office exactly one year ago. Since then, we have been working in an unrelenting manner for the welfare and progress of J&K and its people. I along with my Council of Ministers made every possible effort to expedite the development works and initiate the process to fulfil promises made to the people,” CM Omar said.
“When we went to polls to seek votes from people on the basis of our manifesto, we stressed on two things – one that this government would be for five years and not for six months or one year. Secondly, if they had to judge our performance on the basis of our manifesto, they could do so after the completion of five years. This I’ve reiterated at the floor of the J&K assembly and elsewhere also, because no government fulfils (can fulfill) its promises in six months or one year,” he stated.
The Chief Minister said that his government had already made a beginning – whether it related to political promises made by them i.e., to bring a resolution in the assembly with regard to the special status of J&K or get the resolution about the restoration of statehood approved in the first cabinet meeting.
“On both the accounts, we kept our word. To expedite development, all departments are functioning. With regard to regularisation of employees, today only a very significant and historic step has been taken by the School Education Department where under 860 CPWs, who were hardly getting Rs 500-1000, have been regularised. Other departments too have set this process in motion. To be precise, whatever electoral promises have been made by us, I reassure the people of Jammu and Kashmir that we will stick to them as a solemn pledge and fulfill them,” he said.
“We will accomplish all these tasks – promises made in our manifesto and will return to the people after five years with our report card,” he reiterated.
Earlier at the very outset, he stated that because of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in force in the wake of Nagrota assembly by-poll, the press conference was conducted at party office and not convened by Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) at the Convention Centre.
The Chief Minister said that he was in Jammu in connection with a very important function of the School Education Department.
