Jammu, Mar 25: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday criticized opposition members for walking out over the term “Union Territory,” asserting that Jammu and Kashmir remains one until Parliament restores its statehood.
The Jammu & Kashmir Assembly passed a bill to amend the J&K Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act, 2017, amid a walkout by People’s Conference leader Sajad Gani Lone, who argued that passing the bill amounted to endorsing UT status.
Responding to the protest, Abdullah said, “Mentioning ‘Union Territory’ does not change anything. Until Parliament restores our statehood, we remain a UT. Let’s not politicize this.” He added that walking out would not help the cause and cautioned against basing politics on misinformation.
“We must focus on restoring statehood. Inshallah, we will achieve it. But removing the term ‘UT’ will not alter our reality. Whether we like it or not, we are governed as a Union Territory,” Abdullah said.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Wahid Para also raised concerns about the perceived endorsement of UT status.
In response, Abdullah pointed out that all legislative business had been conducted under the UT framework. “During the finance bill discussion, I repeatedly referred to ‘Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.’ Why didn’t Sajad stage a walkout then? Every member took their oath and contested elections under UT status,” he said.
The Chief Minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to restoring statehood. “We passed a resolution in the first cabinet meeting and submitted it to the Prime Minister. I have raised it in Delhi, emphasizing that the people of J&K reject UT status and demand statehood,” he said.
The bill, introduced by Surinder Kumar Choudhary on behalf of Abdullah, was the first of the Budget session under the National Conference-led government.