Srinagar, Aug 15: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday announced the launch of a massive signature campaign to press for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, with the collected signatures to be submitted to the Supreme Court.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s observations about the April Pahalgam terror attack during the hearing of a plea on J&K’s statehood, Abdullah said it was “unfortunate” that the people of the region were being punished for a crime in which they had no role.
In his Independence Day address at Bakshi Stadium here, the Chief Minister said the apex court had given the government eight weeks to respond.
“From today, we will use these eight weeks to go door-to-door in all 90 assembly segments for a signature campaign on the restoration of statehood. If people are not ready to sign the document, I will accept defeat,” he declared.
Abdullah stressed that these signatures must reach “the doors where the decisions are taken” and confirmed they would be presented to the Supreme Court.
The Chief Minister said the mention of the Pahalgam terror attack in the court hearing was deeply unfair.
“Will the killers of Pahalgam and their masters in the neighbouring country decide whether we will be a state? Every time we get close to statehood, they will do something to sabotage it. Is this fair? Why are we being punished for a crime we had no role in?” he asked.
He recalled that from Kathua to Kupwara, people had come out voluntarily to protest the Pahalgam attack, in which terrorists killed 26 civilians—mostly tourists—at Baisaran meadow in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22.
