"When time is right, Statehood will be restored": J-K BJP MLA

Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 17 (ANI): BJP spokesperson and MLA from Udhampur East, Ranbir Singh Pathania emphasized that Jammu and Kashmir is currently a Union Territory (UT) and will continue to operate under the rule of law, free from the influence of any political dynasty.
He took a strong stance against Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accusing him of not living up to his electoral promises despite his grand commitments to the people.
Pathania highlighted that while their party (BJP) achieved the highest vote share in Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah's National Conference (NC) secured the highest seats and formed a government with Congress.
"Omar Abdullah campaigned with populist promises but has failed to deliver on any of his commitments. There's no tangible evidence of his governance, and now he's resorting to rhetoric that misleads the public," he stated.
In a pointed comparison, the BJP leader likened Omar Abdullah to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, dubbing him "Kejriwal's second" and accusing him of using similar tactics of making empty promises. "The public is aware, and the Omar Abdullah-led government will have to answer for its failures," he added.
Pathania said that Jammu and Kashmir was a state and assured that it would regain its statehood at the "appropriate time." When the time is right, it will be restored as a state," he remarked, hinting at a potential future direction for the region's political status.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister on Wednesday welcomed the Opposition's strong pitch for the restoration of full statehood to the Union Territory, reiterating that the demand is neither new nor unjustified.
The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister was referring to the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which the latter urged the government to bring forward legislation to grant full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Abdullah told reporters, "It's a good thing; we've been waiting for this day, the day when our voice will be raised strongly in Parliament and in Delhi from the opposition's side. I am grateful to Kharge ji and Rahul Gandhi ji for raising the issue of the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood along with other markers."
The restoration of statehood has been a key demand from the regional political parties in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories in August 2019. (ANI)