Omar Abdullah at Express Adda Live Updates: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in conversation with National Opinion Editor Vandita Mishra during Indian Express Adda at Le Meridian, New Delhi on Tuesday. (Express photo by Renuka Puri)Omar Abdullah at Express Adda Live Updates: Omar Abdullah is our guest at the Express Adda today in New Delhi. The session is being moderated by Vandita Mishra, National Opinion Editor, The Indian Express.
Why Abdullah? Omar, a political scion and a third generation political leader of the Abdullah family that has governed Kashmir for most part, has worn many caps — from being the youngest member of parliament at that time to becoming the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and more.
Key context: A little over a year ago, when Omar Abdullah took over as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, he knew he was wearing a crown of thorns. But with a massive mandate behind him and buoyed by a hope that statehood would return to the Union Territory, Omar took charge and attempted to steer Kashmir through its layered political challenges and developmental aspirations.
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Summary
Omar Abdullah remarked that the seat sharing negotiations within the INDIA alliance were more taxing than selecting and campaigning for his candidates, even losing more hair over the process. He emphasized that such difficulties shouldn't arise if the bloc remains united in the near future. Abdullah expressed that the alliance's cooperation should facilitate smoother negotiations, implying confidence in a sustained partnership. The comments highlight the internal challenges faced during alliance formations, contrasting the effort needed in campaign preparations with the complexities of seat allocation talks. Despite the hardships, Abdullah remains optimistic about continued collaboration within the alliance, suggesting that unity among the partner parties can simplify future negotiations. The context underscores the importance of alliance cohesion in electoral strategies, especially amid competitive political landscapes. The remarks were shared during an appearance at the Express Adda event, which was also available for live viewing through an embedded YouTube link.
I wouldn't play a larger national role. I am well aware of my limitations and my limitations quite happily keep me limited to the politics of Jammu and Kashmir...I have no national aspiration other than keeping J&K on an even keel.
Seat sharing talks within the INDIA alliance...the election campaign wasn't as difficult as the seat sharing talks. I lost more hair in the conversation with the Congress than I lost in selecting my own candidates and then campaigning for them to win. It shouldn't be that difficult if out bloc is there for the near future.
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On INDIA Alliance: I think the lack of clarity as to why we are there; because I have heard confusing and conflicting views on that. There is one view that we are only there for the General Election and that's it; in which case we should disband after the General Election and reform closer to the next one. But if were are there in the interim, we need to make it work even when elections take place at the state level. But we don't seem to be able to do that. — Omar Abdullah
In these unusual times, when every institution is effectively weaponised in favour of the government and against the Oppn parties, sometimes you have to do what hasn't been done before. — Omar Abdullah on Congress's attack over 'vote chori'
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You are up against a government that used these bodies to it's advantage; how can you not take them on? The EC is supposedly an independent body. It owes an answer to the people who have concerns. Address those concerns...there's no smoke without a fire...something is not right. — Omar Abdullah
If 'vote chori' means tinkering around with the election process, messing around with voter list, messing around with boundaries of constituencies, then yes, we have a problem. — Omar Abdullah
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If by 'vote chori' you are going to allege that the machines are fiddled with, I've never been a supporter of that. That actually puts me at a very awkward position at home because my father is a vehement believer in the 'machine chor hai'. Every time we lose an election, it's always the machine's fault. My belief is different — We should own the defeat and then work towards correcting it. If we blame the machine, then nothing will ever go right. — Omar Abdullah
It was a dastardly attack..It was an attack where you lined people up, singled them out on the basis of their religion and then gunned them down on cold blood. How does your blood not boil? I wanted the people of the rest in the rest of the country to know that this is not what the people of Jammu and Kashmir identify with in any way. Before our Assembly session, people had come out on their own and were expressing solidarity with the victims.
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Where does it work? You did the same thing after the Baisaran attack; went out and started blowing up homes. If I am not mistaken, at least 10 homes were blown up. Subsequently, you found out that there was no Kashmiri involvement in that attack barring one person who helped them. They were all from across the border but you happily blew up 10 - 12 houses. Now these 10-12 persons, if they are further radicalised; if one of them goes across and gets training, whose fault is it? — Omar Abdullah
Radicalisation in certain quarters is a reality. We saw it play out in the blast in Delhi. But to have a hyper nationalist agenda in the rest of the country...look at the way the BJP reacts to things in Jammu and Kashmir. There is a medical college that is part of the Mata Vaishno Devi University; admission to that college is based on NEET, no other way to get admission. Out of 50 students, 40+ turned out to be Muslims, one Sardar and six or seven Hindus; the BJP were up in arms...If you are now going to decide seats of medical college admissions on the basis of religion...
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To suggest that there is one uniform thought process across all the people of the Valley would be to simplify a very complex situation. No I mean, there is that constituency that doesn't accept Jammu and Kashmir as a part of India. Period. Regardless of 370 or no 370. That's one part of it. Then there's a constituency that quite happily identifies with the BJP...there there's a large group in the middle that is deeply unhappy with the change that was made. But there is no short term solution to what has happened. — Omar Abdullah
Have people of J&K moved on from the issue of abrogation of Article 370? Is there sullen acceptance?
Omar Abdullah: If by acceptance you mean people aren't coming out on the streets everyday and protesting against it, that's true they are not. But does that mean they have willingly accepted the changes that have been made? No. If they had, then perhaps BJP and the parties associated with the BJP would've done significantly better in the Assembly elections last year.
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On whether he has seen Kashmir Files or Dhurandhar, Omar Abdullah says, "I haven't seen either and truth be told I don't intend to see either of them... The first movie didn't do very well in the Valley, the second one, seems to be seeing roaring business...Even if it is a propaganda movie, the audience in Kashmir, is quite happy to be entertained by it."
An entire population feels disempowered because they don't have any representation at all in the Treasury benches...much less in the Govt of India...it's something that concerns us. — Omar Abdullah
An India where an elected Chief Minister can pull off the face covering of a young woman on a whim and not face any blowback... I am talking about Nitish Kumar... is deeply distressing. Nobody should do that. Would he do that with a woman covering her face with ghoonghat? He felt very comfortable doing it with a Muslim woman in his own state. — Omar Abdullah
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I hope we will make progress on the main issue which is statehood. In the interim we would like to see more done on the business rules... We are unlike the Union Territories of Delhi and Pondicherry... we are governed by our own Act...once that is done (statehood) the whole host of the smaller ones just disappear. — Omar Abdullah
Conversation with Centre on statehood continuing one. There has been not a public occasion with the PM or a senior minister where statehood has bot been discussed. Three newly-elected Rajya Sabha MPs went and met the Union Home Minister yesterday (Tuesday) and one of the main things they talked about was statehood. — Omar Abdullah
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The Supreme Court was told, Parliament was told that it is a three-step process — Delimitation, election, statehood. Two steps have been completed. Why are we being made to wait for the third step? — Omar Abdullah
On the main issue of statehood, it's a matter of disappointment. We keep being told 'at the appropriate time' but nobody tells us how they will assess the appropriate time. Tell us what we have to do to bring J&K to to the point where you can say yes, this is the appropriate time. Is the appropriate time when the BJP is in power? If that's the case, then tell us — Omar Abdullah
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Omar Abdullah said, "We don't earn as much as we spend on governance.. it could be very easy for the government of India to bring us to our knees. All they had to do was choke or funds...but they actually did the opposite of that. They gave more money to my government at the end of last year, than what was actually part of the budget. Hope the same will continue this year."
"The government of India has conducted in a way where it has left me very limited scope to complain. We are an economically disadvantaged part of the country," says Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
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