PM Modi-Omar Abdullah bonhomie to an absent NC MP: 5 takeaways from Z-Morh tunnel inauguration in Sonamarg

‘J&K trusts PM Modi’s promises’

In his welcome address, Abdullah said the trust of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in PM Modi has increased. He then went on to talk about Modi keeping his promises, including bridging the gap between “dil (heart)” and “Dilli (Delhi)”.

“On International Yoga Day, you talked to the people (Modi led the Yoga Day celebrations in Srinagar in June last year) and because of that talk, people have started to trust your promises. You said that you are on the path to removing the distance between dil (heart) and Dilli (Delhi)… and (you have) proved it. In just 15 days, this is your second programme vis-a-vis Jammu and Kashmir,” Abdullah said.

Mentioning Modi inaugurating a separate rail division for Jammu recently, he said: “Such projects not only remove the distance from dil (heart) but also from Dilli (Delhi).”

The CM also praised the PM for “the free and fair elections” in J&K, “without any interference”, and only then brought up the demand for the return of statehood. “The people are asking me when will Jammu and Kashmir get the status of a state. You fulfilled your promise of elections … My heart is saying that very soon the Prime Minister will fulfil his third promise made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir as well and Jammu and Kashmir will be a state again,” he said. The promises he was referring to are the conduct of a free-and-fair election and the attempt to bridge the “Dil and Dilli ki doori” through infrastructure projects such as the Sonamarg tunnel and rail connectivity.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inauguration of the Z-Morh tunnel in J&K. (PTI)

Being a part of the INDIA alliance, Abdullah during his election campaign was a fierce critic of the BJP and its leadership but has been on a reconciliatory path since he took over as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. In his first press conference after taking oath, Omar said that there was no pressure on him from Prime Minister Modi.

“He (Prime Minister) told me that you have been given the mandate and we are in the Opposition. There will be no effort to destabilise this government. The support that we extended to the Lieutenant Governor will be extended to you. We will respect the mandate of the people of J&K’. Omar also had several meetings with the Prime Minister and Home Minister besides other BJP ministers in the recent past.

‘Saw CM’s viral marathon video… his excitement’

The PM too started by praising Abdullah and, more importantly by keeping the compliments personal. He first talked about photos the CM had taken of Sonamarg and shared on X, which were reposted by Modi, and then of Abdullah’s participation in the Srinagar marathon.

“For the first time, an international marathon was held in Srinagar… The Chief Minister also participated in it and the video was viral. I especially congratulated him on that when he met me soon after in Delhi. During our talk, I could see his excitement. He talked about the marathon in detail,” Modi said.

As Abdullah had done, after the niceties, the PM moved on to the thorny issue of statehood. Dodging a commitment on timeframe, he said: “This is Modi… If he makes promises, he fulfils them too. Everything has a time, the right things will happen at the right time.”

The PM referred to the CM over a dozen times but named him only once when he started his speech. Otherwise, he referred to him as “Chief Minister ji”.

‘The huge infrastructural push’

Union Minister for Road and Transport Nitin Gadkari highlighted the Modi government’s push for critical infrastructure projects in J&K, also underlining that these lessened the Union Territory’s “distance” from Delhi. Apart from the Sonamarg tunnel, Gadkari highlighted projects like the Zojila tunnel, the four-laning of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the Vailoo tunnel connecting Kashmir with Kishtwar in Jammu, and a proposed road connecting Jammu’s Poonch with Baramulla.

While these key projects do provide all-weather connectivity to Kashmir, they also have huge security significance.

The missing Srinagar MP

While Abdullah, Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary and several MLAs were present at the event, the surprise absence was Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, the MP from Srinagar, whose constituency covers Srinagar-Sonamarg.

Sources said while Ruhullah was invited to the function, he skipped it. The MP of the ruling National Conference has emerged as the fiercest critic of his own party’s government, and his absence from the event may drive the wedge between the party and Ruhullah deeper.

A critical Opposition

The Opposition has taken a dig at Abdullah for his praise of Modi and skipping politics and political issues of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Difference between a shortsighted politician and a true statesman. In 2003 then BJP PM Vajpayee during his visit to Srinagar showed great faith in Mufti sahab’s vision of peace with dignity even though PDP had a mere 16 MLAs. Today our CM despite 50 MLAs did everything to appease and normalise Delhi’s unilateral actions in August 2019 that cleaved and robbed J&K of its special status,” former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti posted on X.

PDP legislator Waheed Parra accused Omar of “helping New Delhi to depoliticise Jammu and Kashmir”. “He (Omar) looks like a spokesperson for normalisation. He is helping them to depoliticise Hammu and Kahsmir,” Para told The Indian Express. “He didn’t talk about politics, about 370, about dialogue and reconciliation or about youth in prisons. It was all about I, me and myself, about the state, about power.”