Next J&K Chief Minister should seek a healthy working relationship with Centre, Raj Bhawan: Omar Abdullah

“I expect the Prime Minister to be an honourable man and live up to the promise of restoring Statehood,” says former CM; emphasises need to repair relationship with L-G

With a massive electoral victory on his side, National Conference vice-president and probable Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday (October 8, 2024) said that the next person in that position must work towards a healthy relationship with the Union government and the Union Territory’s Lieutenant Governor.

“I would advise the incoming Chief Minister that we will need to have a healthy working relationship with the Centre and the Raj Bhawan. Once the government is in place, I would expect the Chief Minister to travel to Delhi soon and meet the Prime Minister and the Home Minister and other important Ministers,” Mr. Abdullah said in an exclusive interview with The Hindu.

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He made it clear that J&K would not benefit from an antagonistic and confrontational approach. “J&K has far too many problems to just play politics for the next five years. The incoming government must have a healthy relationship with the Government of India. I hope the Union government has the same sentiment and recognises the fact that J&K is at a crucial stage currently. We will not be playing politics with this relationship,” Mr. Abdullah said, as the NC-Congress combine prepared to form the next government in J&K.

On the relationship with J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Mr. Abdullah did not mince his words. “There is a need for some relationship building with the Raj Bhawan in J&K. At present, there is no relation between the two of us. We don’t know each other. Some repair needs to be done. J&K will not benefit with the L-G having an antagonistic approach toward elected government,” the former J&K Chief Minister said.

Mr. Abdullah said his advice to the next CM would be “to convey the sentiment of the new government to New Delhi that elections are behind us and there are no reasons why we have to go at each other hammer and tongs”. 

He emphasised that he looked forward to the Centre’s hand-holding in restoring the J&K’s Statehood. “I expect the Prime Minister to be an honourable man and live up to the promise of restoring Statehood. Nowhere he said on the floor of the Parliament that first there should be a BJP government in J&K and then only Statehood would be restored. Now that the people of J&K have spoken, it’s time for him to be magnanimous,” he added.  

It is also important to look into how the Jammu region would get due representation in the next government, he said. “The crucial part of the next government is to give a sense of ownership to those who did not vote for us. The alliance will find people from Jammu to give representation in the government. Just because the large number of seats went to the BJP, there’s no reason to deny representation to them,” Mr. Abdullah said. The BJP has won 29 seats from the Jammu region.

The NC leader stressed that Statehood needs to be restored in J&K, along with the Legislative Council or Upper House, “so that all these communities, like the Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs etc. will get a voice in the Assembly”. 

Published - October 08, 2024 08:57 pm IST