Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday regarding its renewed call for separate statehood for the Jammu region, warning that such a move could further harm the Union Territory and replicate the mistakes made with Ladakh.
In response to BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma’s remarks advocating for a separate Jammu state, Abdullah accused the BJP of having already “destroyed” Ladakh by designating it as a separate Union Territory in 2019. He questioned the motive behind the current demand for Jammu, emphasizing the negative consequences of the party’s previous actions.
“The BJP has already spoiled Ladakh by turning it into a UT. If they now want to do the same with Jammu, let them. They couldn’t control Ladakh. Why spoil Jammu? Their politics has failed,” Abdullah remarked during a media interaction in Jammu.
He also raised concerns about the motivations behind the demand for Jammu’s statehood, questioning whether it was based on religious sentiments and why such a proposal did not surface during the 2019 reorganization when the BJP was in power at the Centre.
Sharma’s call for separate statehood is not a new demand; he previously advocated for similar measures in 2010 while serving as a minister in the then National Conference–Congress government.
Abdullah referenced the situation in Ladakh as a cautionary example, asserting that the BJP has struggled to govern effectively in the region since its separation from Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakh, now a Union Territory without a legislative assembly, has experienced ongoing protests over the past four years. Local movements led by the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance have called for full statehood, Sixth Schedule protections, and safeguards for land and employment.
Leading members of the National Conference (NC) also opposed the notion of separate statehood for Jammu. Senior party leader and Cabinet Minister Javed Ahmad Rana stated, “There has been no demand for a separate Jammu State from the Pir Panjal Valley and the Chenab Valley. The people in these regions continue to stand with the idea of a unified Jammu and Kashmir.”
Rana asserted, “I believe the day is not far when Ladakh will again become part of Jammu and Kashmir. Restoration of a united J&K is only a matter of time.”
NC’s Jammu leader Ratan Lal Gupta described the call for a separate state as “dangerous and divisive,” stating that it jeopardizes the unity of Jammu and Kashmir and undermines national interests.
In light of the political controversy, Abdullah reiterated the government’s priority of restoring full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir in 2026, alongside preparations for the legislative budget session and the upcoming tourism season.
The BJP has not yet provided an official response to Sharma’s remarks, but the situation has reignited discussions on regional identity, governance, and the long-term effects of the 2019 reorganization in this sensitive area of India.
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