Omar Abdullah Refuses BJP Alliance for J&K Statehood Restoration: "Would Rather Resign"

Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, has firmly stated that he would prefer resignation over forming an alliance with the BJP to expedite the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

During an event in Anantnag district in south Kashmir, Abdullah clarified his position, saying, "If an alliance with the BJP and government formation with them were necessary for statehood restoration, then take my resignation and make any other MLA the Chief Minister. I will not compromise."

Abdullah referenced the previous PDP-BJP alliance that governed Jammu and Kashmir from 2015 to 2018, acknowledging that he could have adopted a similar approach. However, he deliberately "chose a different path to prevent the BJP from gaining power in J&K."

The Chief Minister acknowledged this stance might result in a longer wait for statehood but maintained, "I will never allow the BJP to enter government through us."

He pointed to the current situation in Ladakh and public sentiment there as vindication of his position regarding the central government's August 5, 2019 decision, when Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated, stripped of its statehood, and lost its special status following the abrogation of Article 370.

Abdullah noted that those in Ladakh who initially welcomed the Article 370 abrogation now recognize that the article provided Constitutional protection safeguarding their interests. "I have said it then and I'm saying it today, whatever happened on August 5, 2019, was wrong," Abdullah stated.

The Chief Minister expressed reluctance to support protests for statehood restoration, preferring democratic means instead. He cited concerns about potential violence, stating, "In Ladakh, when people came out, firing started within an hour. Here in Kashmir, they won't even wait that long - bullets will rain within 10 minutes. I don't want people of Kashmir to suffer again. We will continue our fight democratically and peacefully."

Abdullah emphasized that their struggle for statehood will remain committed to non-violence and democratic processes, without compromising fundamental principles.