Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 20: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, accusing the party of hypocrisy in its claims of fostering equality in the region following the abrogation of Article 370.
Speaking on grants, Omar Abdullah questioned the BJP’s narrative that Jammu and Kashmir has achieved parity with other Indian states, challenging them to explain the stark disparities that remain.
“How is Jammu and Kashmir equal to other states? Is the Assembly of J&K equal to the legislative assemblies of neighbouring Punjab, Haryana, or Himachal Pradesh?” Abdullah asked, pointing to the limited powers of the J&K Assembly compared to its counterparts in fully-fledged states.
He argued that the BJP’s decision to bifurcate the erstwhile state into two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh—in 2019 has undermined the region’s status rather than elevating it.
Invoking the legacy of Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of the erstwhile princely state, Abdullah highlighted the historical measures taken to safeguard the rights of Jammu’s residents.
“It was the vision of Maharaja Hari Singh that he introduced the State Subject law to protect the job and land rights of the people of the Jammu region,” he said.
The Chief Minister accused the BJP-led central government of dismantling this vision by revoking Article 370 and opening up land ownership to outsiders, thereby “demolishing Maharaja Hari Singh’s state.”
Abdullah further challenged the BJP’s stance that outsiders should be allowed to purchase land in Jammu and Kashmir, urging its leaders to examine the policies of neighboring Himachal Pradesh. “Look at Himachal Pradesh, where the government has formulated strict rules to protect the land and job rights of locals. Why doesn’t the BJP talk about that?” he asked, exposing what he called the party’s selective narrative on equality and development.
The Chief Minister’s remarks come amid ongoing debates over the implications of the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, which had granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, including provisions that restricted land ownership and jobs to state residents. Critics of the BJP have long argued that the move has eroded local rights, while the party maintains it has integrated the region fully into the Indian Union, ensuring equal opportunities for all. |
