Statehood: Omar says waiting for PM, HM to fulfil promise
Jammu, June 20 (UNI) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said he was waiting for the fulfilment of the promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
'Will see whether we have to go legally or not for statehood but till then, we are waiting for the Prime Minister and the Home Minister as they have assured that statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir,' Abdullah told media at an event.
To strengthen public outreach and grievance redress, Abdullah on Friday inaugurated a new Raabta office here at Canal Road after one is functioning in Srinagar (Kashmir valley).
On the issue of reservation in the recruitment, Abdullah however, lashed out at the former J&K Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti stating, 'how much she (Mehbooba Mufti) is speaking on this? Where was she when she had the opportunity to raise this issue?'
'When she was contesting elections from Anantnag constituency and seeking votes from Rajouri-Poonch, why did she prefer silence on this matter? Why did the People's Conference leader, Sajjad Lone, who was close to the BJP, not speak on the reservation issue then?' said Abdullah.
He, however, maintained that the Cabinet Sub-Committee framed by his government has submitted its report on reservation issue to the Law Department for remarks before taking a final call thereafter.
Moreover, on giving water access to the neighbouring Punjab by Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister said, 'I am not in favour of this. There is a drought-like situation in Jammu, so first, let us use our water for ourselves.'
'Under Indus Water Treaty, Punjab already had water. Did they give us water when we needed it, then why should I send water to Punjab?,' said Abdullah while reacting to the 113 km-long canal proposed for redirecting additional water from three western rivers of the Indus system in Jammu and Kashmir to Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, on opening of Raabta office in Jammu, Abdullah said, 'We want to reach out to people and after the successful response in Kashmir, we wanted to have a similar office in Jammu as well so that the grievances can be taken via both online and offline modes and can be addressed without any delay.'
UNI VBH PRS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Today in Politics: After Omar Abdullah touches a raw nerve in Punjab over water sharing, what's next?
Even as the dispute between Punjab and Haryana over water from the Bhakra-Nangal project continues to simmer, another controversy over water sharing is brewing between Punjab and its neighbour to the north, Jammu and Kashmir. Asked about the proposed construction of a 113-km canal to transfer surplus water from Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan to prevent it from flowing to Pakistan, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told reporters on Friday, 'Right now, Jammu is facing water scarcity … There is no water in the taps. Why should I send water to Punjab? Punjab already has three rivers as per the Indus Waters Treaty. Has Punjab given us any water?' This drew a sharp response from political parties in Punjab, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) saying Omar Abdullah cannot make a 'unilateral decision'. The party's spokesperson in the state, Neel Garg, told PTI, 'Whenever there is a war, Punjab becomes the battleground. And when the country needs foodgrains, it becomes the granary of the nation. Now that there is water available, Punjab has a legitimate claim over it.' Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring took to X to criticise Omar's statements. 'It's sad that JK CM @OmarAbdullah ji has started doing politics over the proposed canals to be constructed to prevent flow of water to Pakistan. Want to ask Omar Sahab doesn't it amount to treating us at a par with Pakistan? We have suspended Indus Water Treaty as Pakistan has proved to be a rogue and enemy nation to us. What reasons do you have to refuse water to us?' Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Punjab minister Daljit Singh Cheema also weighed in on the issue, accusing Omar of doing injustice to Punjab and pointing to the state's role as the food bowl of the country. He said farmers in the state had taken on a 'huge debt' to fulfil the food requirements of the country. 'Every time it is Punjab which suffers the most. River waters were snatched from our state … It is a historical fact that the then Indira Gandhi government did great injustice to Punjab by giving away a huge share of its river water to Rajasthan, a non-riparian state,' PTI quoted him as saying. How this plays out will be among the political stories to watch out for on Saturday. It is the 11th International Yoga Day today and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Visakhapatnam to participate in the celebrations. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said the event, scheduled from 6.30 am to 8 am, will be organised in such a way to get recognition and set records, including a Guinness World Record. The event the PM will participate in will be held in a 26-km-long corridor where more than 3 lakh people can perform yoga together, according to officials. — With PTI inputs
United News of India
3 hours ago
- United News of India
Cooperation is the soul of India's way of life: Amit Shah
Mumbai, June 20 (UNI) Cooperation is the soul of India's way of life, said Union Minister for Cooperation Amit Shah in Mumbai on Friday. He was speaking at the 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi' National Symposium organized at Hotel Fairmont today. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil, Agriculture Minister Adv. Manikrao Kokate and several others were present. Shah said that UN has declared 2025 as the 'International Year of Cooperatives'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a historic step by establishing a separate Ministry of Cooperatives in the country. Now the aim is to establish two lakh new Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in the country, he said. He further said that information about cooperative societies in every village across the country has been collected through a digital database, and Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka have made remarkable achievements in the cooperative sector. PACS societies will now not be limited to agriculture alone but will operate in 22 new service sectors. These include Jan Aushadhi Kendras, gas distribution, petrol pumps, railway ticketing services, taxi services. In the 'National Taxi' initiative, the taxi drivers will be the owners of the vehicle and their profits will be deposited directly in their bank accounts, he said. This initiatives will create new employment opportunities for women and youth, and will boost the rural economy. The country is moving towards a new era of cooperation said Shah. Speaking on occasion, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Maharashtra has successfully implemented various schemes in rural areas through PACS and FPOs (Farmer Producer Organizations). These schemes have given a boost to employment generation and have provided a market chain to farmers. Maharashtra has fulfilled the objectives of the central government more efficiently, Fadnavis said. He further said that Maharashtra has a 120-year tradition of cooperation and this historical land is to celebrate the International Year of Cooperation. UNI SP RN
United News of India
4 hours ago
- United News of India
Statehood: Omar says waiting for PM, HM to fulfil promise
Jammu, June 20 (UNI) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said he was waiting for the fulfilment of the promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. 'Will see whether we have to go legally or not for statehood but till then, we are waiting for the Prime Minister and the Home Minister as they have assured that statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir,' Abdullah told media at an event. To strengthen public outreach and grievance redress, Abdullah on Friday inaugurated a new Raabta office here at Canal Road after one is functioning in Srinagar (Kashmir valley). On the issue of reservation in the recruitment, Abdullah however, lashed out at the former J&K Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti stating, 'how much she (Mehbooba Mufti) is speaking on this? Where was she when she had the opportunity to raise this issue?' 'When she was contesting elections from Anantnag constituency and seeking votes from Rajouri-Poonch, why did she prefer silence on this matter? Why did the People's Conference leader, Sajjad Lone, who was close to the BJP, not speak on the reservation issue then?' said Abdullah. He, however, maintained that the Cabinet Sub-Committee framed by his government has submitted its report on reservation issue to the Law Department for remarks before taking a final call thereafter. Moreover, on giving water access to the neighbouring Punjab by Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister said, 'I am not in favour of this. There is a drought-like situation in Jammu, so first, let us use our water for ourselves.' 'Under Indus Water Treaty, Punjab already had water. Did they give us water when we needed it, then why should I send water to Punjab?,' said Abdullah while reacting to the 113 km-long canal proposed for redirecting additional water from three western rivers of the Indus system in Jammu and Kashmir to Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. Meanwhile, on opening of Raabta office in Jammu, Abdullah said, 'We want to reach out to people and after the successful response in Kashmir, we wanted to have a similar office in Jammu as well so that the grievances can be taken via both online and offline modes and can be addressed without any delay.' UNI VBH PRS
