Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that his government has set a “finite timeline” for the restoration of statehood, stressing that if the goal is not achieved before the end of his current tenure, “it will be a total waste of time.”
In an interview with India Today, Omar was asked whether he had set a timeframe for the return of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. “Have you given yourself a timeline, where statehood is concerned?” the interviewer asked.
“I have given myself a timeline for occupying the office which I’m currently occupying,” Abdullah replied. When asked further about the timeline, he said, “That is between me and my Almighty.”
The interviewer asked, “But you are not answerable to the Almighty, you are answerable to the people.”
“Absolutely, yes,” Abdullah responded. “But when I have to tell the people, they will know. I’m not going to give you a position where you will stand behind me with a stopwatch. But there is a finite timeline.”
When asked if that meant the decision could come before the end of his tenure, Abdullah replied, “If it is not before my tenure ends, then it is a total waste of time. We have given ourselves a finite timeline—if we don’t get statehood, it will be a failure.”
Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its statehood on August 5, 2019, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government of India abrogated Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which granted the region special status. On the same day, Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, bifurcating the erstwhile state into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir (with a legislative assembly) and Ladakh (without one).
The move stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its constitution, flag, and autonomy over key matters except foreign affairs, defence, and communications. It also dissolved the then state assembly, placing the region under President’s Rule and the direct control of the Lieutenant Governor.
In the years that followed, the GoI justified the move as a step toward “greater integration” and “development,” while opposition parties, including the National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) termed it a “betrayal” and a “constitutional assault.”
Since then, the government has repeatedly assured that statehood will be restored “at an appropriate time,” though no specific timeline has been given. In June 2021, Modi held an all-party meeting with J&K leaders, promising early delimitation and elections as precursors to restoring statehood.
The Delimitation Commission finalised new assembly boundaries in May 2022, increasing the total number of seats from 83 to 90 in the J&K assembly.
At present, Jammu and Kashmir functions as a Union Territory with a legislative assembly under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. He has, however, repeatedly maintained that his administration operates with limited authority and remains constrained by the Union Territory structure.
