Post-Ladakh firing, Omar says can't hit streets for statehood

SRINAGAR: J&K CM Omar Abdullah ruled out taking to the streets for restoration of statehood , saying Tuesday that young lives cannot be risked in a climate of trigger-ready forces. “In Ladakh, they opened fire within an hour. In Kashmir, they would not wait 10 minutes,” Omar said, vowing to press demand politically and peacefully. “We will get our rights while abiding by law and the Constitution, but I won’t allow people to be pushed into the flames and destroyed.”

Omar reminded how Leh initially celebrated the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 but later reversed course. “People of Kargil never accepted that decision. We didn’t accept it either. But see how the situation changed in Leh. Leh celebrated at the time. Now they are saying they realised that Article 370 protected them for 70 years.”

Omar Abdullah’s remarks came against the backdrop of Ladakh unrest, where security forces fired on demonstrators on Sept 24, killing four and wounding more than 80.

He also pushed back against suggestions that Kashmiris could shift to BJP if governance falters.

Turning to his govt formation last year, Omar revealed he resisted pressure to include BJP in office.