'Curse be upon me if I go to the Centre and push for statehood at this moment': J&K CM Omar Abdullah

JAMMU: Emphasising that he will not take advantage of the Pahalgam terror attack to press for the restoration of statehood, an emotional Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said, “Curse be upon me if I go to the Centre and push for statehood at this critical moment.”
Chief minister Omar said this when some non-BJP members pinpointed whom they should question and look for responsibility for the Baisaran meadow terror attack, and demanded the restoration of statehood to defeat terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
“I do not believe in cheap politics. Should I have no value for the 26 lives lost and go to the Centre demanding statehood now?” an emotional Omar Abdullah categorically said in the House.
“Neither business rules nor anything else, but only remembering the 26 people who died.”
Saying that the security in Jammu and Kashmir is not the responsibility of the UT's elected government, Omar said, “But I will not use this occasion to seek statehood. How can I push for statehood now?”
“We have talked about statehood (with the Central government) in the past and will continue to talk about it in the future also, but not right now.”
“This time there will be no politics on anything except condemnation of the terror act and expressing solidarity with the families who lost their kin,” the J&K chief minister underlined.
In reference to some social media posts, he said, “Unfortunately, there are some people who are trying to peddle false news. When such fake information is spread, then people have to face consequences.”
“I warn them to desist from this immediately as we will not tolerate the spread of falsehood,” Abdullah said.
The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah further reiterated that his government would strengthen people's crusade against terrorism, as it can be defeated only with the cooperation of the public.
“Terrorism will finish when people are with us. People’s outrage against the terror (in the post-Pahalgam attack) is the beginning of its end if we take proper steps,” the chief minister said, winding up a discussion on a resolution in the House to condemn the Pahalgam terror attack.
“We should not take any step that will alienate people. We cannot control a terrorist with a gun, but we can end militancy if people are with us. I think that time has come,” he said.
Making special mention of spontaneous protests across Jammu and Kashmir, Omar said Srinagar's Jamia Masjid for the first time observed a two-minute silence before Friday prayers.
“We can understand its meaning. We will try to strengthen this change,” the chief minister said.
Earlier, chief minister Omar Abdullah expressed his gratitude to the Lieutenant Governor for summoning the special session.
“I am thankful to LG that a special assembly session was called on the request of the council of ministers. When we met to condemn the attack, it was decided that LG would be urged to call a one-day session so that neither Parliament nor any other assembly understands the pain of those 26 people other than the J&K Assembly.”
Omar said, “There are many people in this assembly who have seen their own people being killed. Our younger sister Shagun, Sakina and Sajad.”
“Someone lost their father, someone their uncle, and the way Sajad expressed his pain in the House, I don't have any better words to express.”
“Sajad is right that there should be names of all 26 names in the obituary reference,” Omar said and he narrated all 26 names with their states.
“From north to south and from east to west, the entire country has been engulfed in the attack. This was not the first attack, as we have seen multiple attacks. We have seen attacks on camps of the Amarnath Yatra, on villages of Doda, areas of KPs, Sikhs.”
“It is after 21 years that such a major attack on civilians has taken place. We had thought that such attacks were part of our past. But Baisaran again brought the past in front of us.”
Emotional Omar spoke from the heart, stating, “It was I who as the CM invited them and I was the host of these people who had come to visit J&K. It was my responsibility to send these people safely, which I was not able to do. There were no words when I met the families… the children who saw their fathers in blood... the woman who was married a few days ago... some of them came to me and said, ‘What was our fault? We had come for the first time to Kashmir.’”
“Those who did this say that they did it for our good. Did we ask them to kill 26 people? Was this done with our agreement? This attack left us hollow, but there was a ray of hope in difficult times.”
“For the first time, I saw people coming out against the attack. It was from Kathua to Kupwara that people came out… candle marches were held, rallies were conducted to say that we are not with this terror act.”
The CM also mentioned the name of Adil and said, “He, without taking care of his own life, saved many tourists… instead of running for his life, he went towards the threat.”