Statehood can’t be restore to oblige ‘prince’ Omar, says BJP; CM says J&K voters being punished

SRINAGAR: BJP leader Sushil Sharma’s jibe at Omar Abdullah, calling him a “shehzaada” (prince) and saying the Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood can’t be restored just because he is demanding it, evoked a scathing response from the chief minister, who Friday said denial of statehood would be betrayal of promises made to the people of J&K.

Sharma, who is the leader of opposition in J&K Assembly, Thursday hit out at Omar for repeatedly raising the issue of statehood. “It’s not possible that statehood should be granted soon because a “shehzaada” from Sheikh Abdullah’s family has become the chief minister,” he said while speaking to media persons. Statehood will take “its own time”, he added, asking the CM to instead focus on fulfilling his promises like free electricity and LPG cylinders and jobs.

Reacting sharply, Omar said in a post on X: “...Finally a bit of honesty from the BJP — the people of J&K are to be punished and denied statehood because they voted for JKNC. So much for their tall promises & claims.”

He also took a dig at Sharma, who was in Assam recently to campaign for the elections there, saying the J&K Assembly was “quiet and far more productive” in the LOP’s absence.

NC minister Javed Rana asserted that the long-promised restoration of statehood was not merely a constitutional obligation, but also key to restoring effective governance and accelerating development in J&K.

NC spokesperson and legislator Tanvir Sadiq criticised Sharma’s statement, saying that “the politics of BJP in J&K has sunk to a new low”. “Resorting to name-calling against an elected CM only exposes the frustration within their ranks. Sunil Sharma’s remarks are not just petty, they reflect a deeper insecurity,” he said. “J&K deserves serious politics, not schoolyard jibes. If anything, such comments only reinforce the growing perception that BJP’s local leadership is struggling to stay relevant,” Sadiq said.