Handwara: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, addressing his first major public rally since taking office a year ago, brought up the demand for restoration of special status under Article 370 — the first time he has done so since assuming charge.
Speaking before a large gathering in Handwara, Abdullah urged his party’s newly elected Rajya Sabha MPs to raise the issue in Parliament, reminding them that the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly had already passed a resolution last year seeking restoration of special status and constitutional guarantees.
“They must remind the Centre that in November last year, the assembly passed a resolution demanding restoration of special status and our constitutional guarantees. That’s what they must talk about in Parliament,” Abdullah said.
The rally, held to celebrate the election victory of National Conference leader Chowdhry Mohammad Ramzan to the Rajya Sabha, also marked the party’s first major show of strength since its landslide win in the 2024 assembly elections.
Of the four Rajya Sabha seats from the Union Territory, the National Conference won three, while the BJP secured one.Abdullah said the MPs have been sent to Delhi to “fight for the rights” of the people and to remind the central government of its promises.For most of the past year, the Chief Minister had confined himself to official functions and had largely refrained from public mobilization.
His earlier speeches focused mainly on the demand for restoration of statehood rather than Article 370, often expressing disappointment over delays despite assurances from the Centre, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The Handwara event, therefore, signaled a shift in Abdullah’s political messaging — as he brought the debate on Article 370 back to the forefront of Jammu and Kashmir’s political discourse.
