Omar Abdullah Shares Stage with PM Modi, Renews Demand for J&K Statehood
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader Omar Abdullah shared the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a high-profile event in Katra, where he renewed his long-standing demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking at the launch of major infrastructure projects worth ₹46,000 crore, Abdullah drew attention to the political shift following the revocation of J&K’s special status in 2019. “While LG Manoj Sinha has been promoted from Minister of State to his current post, I have been demoted — from the Chief Minister of a state to the head of a Union Territory,” said Abdullah. “However, I believe this will be rectified under your (Modi’s) leadership, and J&K will regain statehood.”
The event marked the inauguration of key projects, including the historic Chenab Bridge, the Anji Bridge, and the completion of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL). PM Modi also flagged off the first Vande Bharat Express to Kashmir.
Abdullah praised the railway achievement, noting that connecting Kashmir by train was a long-standing dream, dating back to British rule. “What the British couldn’t achieve has been completed under your watch,” he said, addressing PM Modi.
He also paid tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, crediting him for declaring the Kashmir rail link a project of national importance and securing the necessary budget.
