Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday criticised opposition members for walking out over the use of the term “Union Territory,” saying the region remains one until the Parliament restores its statehood.
The Jammu & Kashmir Assembly passed a bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act, 2017, amid a walkout by People’s Conference member Sajad Gani Lone, who alleged that passing the bill amounts to endorsing the Union Territory status by the house.
Responding to the walkout, Omar said “Just because we have mentioned ‘Union Territory’ here and not anything else, it does not change anything. Unfortunately, until the Parliament of India restores our statehood, we will remain a Union Territory. So let us not politicise this.”
He said walking out does not help the cause. “We should not engage in politics over WhatsApp university posts, which some among us have received.”
“This happens very frequently when we rely entirely on WhatsApp for information. The WhatsApp forward that my honourable colleague received—based on which a member also staged a brief walkout—is something we have all seen. This message attempts to create the false impression that if this bill is passed, Jammu and Kashmir will become a Union Territory,” CM said.
“We have to get back statehood to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Inshallah, we will restore it. Removing the word ‘UT’ will not change our reality. We are a UT whether you like it or not. This government governs as a Union Territory.”
Wahid Para of PDP also raised his concerns about the endorsement of Union Territory status.
In response, the CM said, “All the business conducted by this house so far has been under the name of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. During the passing of the finance bill, I repeatedly mentioned ‘Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir’ regarding consolidated funds. Why didn’t Sajad stage a walkout then? During my grants, I mentioned ‘Union Territory’ as well.” All members took oath under the Union Territory and contested elections under it, he added.
Omar stressed that his government has been vigorously fighting for the restoration of statehood.
“We passed a resolution in the first cabinet meeting. We submitted it to the Prime Minister. I raised it with him during the Sonamarg function. Whenever I go to Delhi, I bring it up, that the people of J&K do not like the Union Territory status and want the restoration of statehood,” he said.
Rejecting the opposition’s objections over terminology in the Appropriation Bills, he questioned, “Now, if we pass this bill and refer to it as an amendment to the government of Jammu and Kashmir, what changes? If we pass the Appropriation Bill for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, what difference does it make? If I remove the term ‘Union Territory,’ will our status change? No, it will not.”
He criticized performative politics, stating, “Performing for the cameras won’t change our reality. What will bring change is our continued effort to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. If there is anything outdated, it is probably the record of our efforts in this regard.”
Addressing legislative procedure, he pointed out, “However, the reality remains: we are a Union Territory. If we were not, things would have been different. If we were a state, the grants just passed would have been discussed in detail, and there would have been cut motions on them. But these were grants from the Home Department, and they were passed without discussion or cut motions—because we are a Union Territory.” Taking a dig at opposition tactics, CM Omar Abdullah remarked, “Staging a walkout for the cameras and claiming ‘I am not part of this crime’ does not change the fact that the crime has already been committed against us.”
He cautioned against misinformation-driven politics, saying, “We must not allow WhatsApp forwards to dictate our politics. Our focus is clear: we want Jammu and Kashmir to be restored as a state. And, God willing, we will achieve that.”
The first bill of the Budget session by the National Conference-led government was introduced by Surinder Kumar Choudhary on Saturday on behalf of Abdullah, who also oversees the finance ministry.
During the discussion, Lone took exception to the use of the words ‘Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir’ and said it signifies the endorsement of Jammu and Kashmir’s status by the house. “I will not be a partner in this,” he said as he walked out.