J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday turned the BJP’s oft-repeated “appropriate time” line on statehood back on the party over the delay in holding panchayat polls in the Union territory.
The line has been repeated by BJP leaders in J&K, including Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, in response to Omar’s repeated demand for restoration of statehood. The chief minister has repeatedly sought restoration of J&K’s statehood, including in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah. “On the holding of panchayat polls, I want to say what the BJP leadership has been saying on our statehood – that it will be given at an appropriate time. the government has so far remained non-committal, with Omar saying that polls were not currently on the government’s agenda, prioritising the restoration of statehood instead While opposition parties have consistently demanded fresh polls.
I am also saying that the panchayat polls will be held at an appropriate time,” Omar said. Taking a dig at the chief minister’s statement, LoP Sharma said Omar did not want to see the empowerment of common people through grassroots institutions.
Omar has previously made it clear that his government is not in a hurry to hold the panchayat polls. Speaking in the assembly on Tuesday, Omar said he would adopt the same formulation while responding to BJP legislators’ questions on the panchayat polls.
