Omar Abdullah Demands Restoration of Special Status in First Major Rally Since Becoming Chief Minister

Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, has called for the restoration of special status to the region during his first public rally since assuming office a year ago.

In Srinagar, Abdullah addressed a large gathering in Handwara, focusing on the restoration of special status under Article 370 of the Constitution, which was revoked by the Central government in August 2019.

The Chief Minister instructed his party's newly elected Rajya Sabha MPs to strongly advocate for this issue in parliament, noting that the assembly had previously passed a resolution on restoring special status last year.

Recently, Abdullah had limited his public statements to demands for restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, generally avoiding direct discussions about Article 370.

Throughout his previous addresses since becoming Chief Minister in October last year, Abdullah primarily emphasized the need for statehood, occasionally expressing disappointment regarding delays in this process despite commitments from the central government, including assurances from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Handwara rally, which celebrated the victory of Chowdhry Mohammad Ramzan, recently elected as a Rajya Sabha MP, also served as the first major demonstration of political strength by the ruling National Conference since its decisive victory in the 2024 assembly elections.

Of the four Rajya Sabha seats allocated to Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference secured three, with the BJP winning one. Abdullah emphasized that his party had sent powerful voices to parliament to represent the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"We have sent representatives to parliament who will advocate for our rights and remind the central government about the situation and the promises we have made to the people," Abdullah stated.

He further emphasized that the newly elected MPs must address the assembly resolution on special status.

"They must remind the Centre that in November last year, the assembly passed a resolution demanding restoration of special status and our constitutional guarantees. That's what they must discuss in parliament," he declared.

Over the past year, the National Conference has not organized any significant public rallies, and the Chief Minister has largely confined himself to official functions rather than public forums.

During this period, Abdullah's major public appearances were primarily when accompanying PM Modi and addressing officially organized gatherings.