‘Rubbing salt into our wounds’: Omar Abdullah on UT Day celebrations

“As you saw with the Samajwadi Party and Congress having had disagreements over UP, this is not good for the alliance. This isn’t good. I would hope that after these elections, we can all sit together and work together,” he said.

Abdullah’s comments on J&K’s UT status, during a party convention in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, came as the UT administration geared up for its ‘UT Foundation Day’ celebrations on October 31.

“There are posters at different places marking ‘UT formation day’,” Omar said, “They are rubbing salt on our wounds. Were we asked before creating this UT or did we have a say in this decision? Did we benefit from this decision?”

Stating that decisions, whether on toll tax or smart meters or employment, had added to the difficulties of the people in both UTs, Omar said: “More than us (Kashmir), the people of Jammu and Ladakh are protesting against the move.”

“They say they have increased tax collection but they don’t tell you that they have opened liquor stores or that where there should be schools, colleges and medical stores, there are liquor stores. They are destroying our youths by distributing free drugs,” he said.

Pointing out the extent of drug addiction in J&K, he said, “It has happened in the last four-five years. This existed before, but now, it is far widespread and not just among men but also women.”

In August this year, an Express investigation found that the number of patients visiting OPDs in the Valley’s largest District De-addiction Centre in SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, jumped 75% in the year-ending March 2023. The investigation also found that seizure of heroin had more than doubled to 240 kg in 2022.

Quoting Lt Governor Manoj Sinha’s recent comments that 80% people are satisfied with the current administration, Omar said, “They should have the courage to conduct elections. It will show them that not even 10% are with them.”