New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday ruled out any alliance with the BJP to expedite the restoration of statehood for the Union Territory, stating he would rather step down than compromise on principles. Speaking at an event in Achabal, Anantnag district, Abdullah emphasised that he would not trade political expediency for statehood. “If you want statehood at the cost of bringing the BJP into government, accept my resignation and install any MLA as chief minister I will not be part of that,” he said.
Abdullah acknowledged that including the BJP might have accelerated the process but insisted such a trade-off was unacceptable. Reflecting on past politics, he cited the 2015 PDP-BJP arrangement, arguing that a government could have been formed in Jammu and Kashmir without the BJP’s involvement. “The Congress and the National Conference were willing. Yet the excuse of giving representation to the BJP was made,” he said, noting that his administration had ensured regional representation for Jammu and Pir Panjal even without the BJP, with the deputy chief minister now hailing from Jammu.
The chief minister underlined that the campaign for statehood would remain peaceful and constitutional. “How much blood of our youth do you want to see spilled? I will not allow that. We will fight democratically and lawfully; we will not bring destruction to people’s homes,” Abdullah said, urging colleagues to remain courageous amid forces he said sought only to sow chaos. He also noted shifting public sentiment in Ladakh, where initial support for the Centre’s August 5, 2019 decision has given way to demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule protections.
Acknowledging the challenges of governance under the current arrangement, Abdullah quipped that critics often underestimate the difficulty of running the administration. “Come and sit in my chair for 10 days; if on the 11th day you haven’t pulled your legs, I will concede your point,” he said to laughter and applause. He concluded on a hopeful note, expressing confidence in justice prevailing: “There is no despair in God’s court. We will get our rights the work goes on.”
