Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said he was paying a political price for pinning his hopes on the country’s democracy and the Central government for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s rights, including statehood.
In a fiery Independence Day speech at Bakshi stadium here, Abdullah said he took a big political risk when he took a stand that Jammu and Kashmir will get whatever it needs from India’s democracy and that nothing can be achieved through a confrontation with the Centre.
“Probably, I have paid a political price for it,” he said.
Referring to recent speculation that the Centre was likely to announce statehood reinstatement around this Independence Day, the CMsaid that though he did not have much expectations, he was led to believe that it might happen after all.
“I had no expectations but I was being constantly told that the documents are ready and now just the announcement is to be made. But the announcement never came. The ray of hope is fading, but we will not give up,” Abdullah said.
The CM said that in spite of the problem of dual power centres in a Union Territory, his government has done a lot of work over the last 10 months.
Meanwhile, the CM on Friday announced to launch a massive signature campaign to press the demand for restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and present those signatures to the Supreme Court.