Omar Abdullah strongly criticized the BJP's demand for a separate Jammu state. He said that the BJP failed to handle Ladakh as a Union Territory, and now Jammu ... read more

State Bureau, Jammu. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticized BJP leaders' demand for a separate state for Jammu, saying, "If these people want to ruin Jammu and Kashmir, let them do so. When their politics failed, they are now demanding a separate state for Jammu. They couldn't handle Ladakh, and now they want to destroy Jammu."

In a brief conversation after the administrative meeting of the Public Works Department on Tuesday , when journalists drew his attention to the demand of a separate statehood for Jammu by a BJP leader, he said that Ladakh has already been ruined by making it a Union Territory.

They haven't managed Ladakh, and now if they want to ruin Jammu by creating a separate state, let them do it. They haven't managed Ladakh, why are they ruining Jammu? If these people are demanding a separate state for Jammu today, then their politics has failed somewhere. That's why they remembered separate statehood for Jammu. Why didn't they think of it earlier?

Why Jammu was not made a separate state in the year 2019 itself?

In 2019, when Jammu and Kashmir was created as two union territories, the BJP was the one responsible for creating them. Why wasn't Jammu made a separate state? He questioned, "Now they want to make Jammu a separate state, on what basis? Religion. Do everything else, but why are they destroying Jammu and Kashmir?" On one hand, they claim they don't care about Jammu and Kashmir, yet these same people are engaged in the destruction.

Angered by the Sangharsh Samiti's protest against the admission of Muslim students to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, Omar Abdullah said, "Whose protest is this? What are they protesting about? Those students have earned their seats through hard work. No one owes them any favors, not me or the university. They earned their seats by passing the exam. Please accommodate them somewhere else."

We don't want a medical college where there is politics and not studies

I believe even those children will no longer want to study there. Given the situation these people have created, if I were their parents, I would have sent my children there in fear. Close that medical college. We don't want a medical college where politics is the focus, not education. These people are not worthy of opening a medical college.

We don't want their medical college. The Indian government should enroll these children in another institution. We will arrange for their education, but we don't want this medical college anymore. When pointed out allegations of bias in the selection of Jammu and Kashmir's football and cricket teams, Omar Abdullah, without naming the BJP, said, "Sir, we see sports as sports."

Was there any objection to the football team because it had Muslims?

Ask this question to those who link sports to politics. When they look at a team, they only see the religion of the players. They see nothing but religion. Was the objection to the football team because it had Muslims? Is the problem with the cricket team because it had more Muslims? They bring religion into everything, they bring religion into education, and they have even crossed all limits with food and drink. When no issue worked, they are bent on making Jammu a separate state.

On the question of reservation policy, he threw the ball in the Lieutenant Governor's court, saying, "Lok Bhavan is two kilometers away from here; you should ask the Lieutenant Governor. Why ask us this question? We have done our job. The Cabinet has approved the recommendations of the Cabinet subcommittee and sent the relevant file to the Lieutenant Governor. Now he has to give his approval."

Avoiding a question about any relief for daily wage earners in the upcoming budget, he said, "I can't say anything right now. The budget will be prepared and presented to the House, only then will we know."

What will the situation be like – neither we nor you know

When asked about the challenges facing the state government this year, he said, "It's only been six days since the year began, and who knows what challenges will emerge next. Last year, did anyone expect a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, or a situation like Operation Sindoor? Then came floods and rains in August and September, the damage from which we are still suffering. We prepare for everything; neither you nor I know what the future holds."

The challenge is to make Jammu and Kashmir a state

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that ensuring Jammu and Kashmir becomes a state soon is a challenge for us. The budget session begins on February 2nd. Presenting the budget in the House and getting it approved is a challenge. Our tourism season begins in March-April. It's a challenge to ensure this is successful and a good start to the tourism season.

PC: Jagran