- Sunday, February 23, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
FORMER chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday (27) expressed hope that the Narendra Modi government would not reject the demand of the former state’s mainstream political parties to restore its statehood before the next elections. The veteran Congress leader said Jammu and Kashmir’s Union Territory status was “not acceptable” to anyone.
Azad, 72, was part of a 14-member delegation from Jammu and Kashmir that met prime minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24 to have a key discussion on the state. He said the dialogue process was “only the beginning” and now it was up to the central government to build trust and confidence in the erstwhile state.
“One thing was there that everybody was asked to speak frankly. I think all the leaders spoke very frankly and the important thing is there was no ill will towards anyone,” Azad said in an interview. The former leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha who stepped down in February said he made it clear at the meeting that the UT status of Jammu and Kashmir is not acceptable and his stance received support from every political leader.
Besides Azad, the delegation saw three other former chief ministers, including the National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party’s Mehbooba Mufti.
“So, we have made our point clear. The only thing that we wanted was that first statehood should be restored and then elections should be held. Of course, they (Centre) have not responded but a joint stand of all the political parties was that first statehood should be granted, full-fledged statehood, and then it should be followed by elections,” Azad said.
At least they didn’t say no, says Azad
When asked whether there are chances of the Modi government agreeing to the statehood first demand, Azad, who has also been a central minister in the past, said he was optimistic since the Centre at least did not say no.
“And I think things have changed now. The amount of time the prime minister gave, the words he used that forget the past now. And the meeting gave a great opportunity to understand concerns and issues,” he said, adding, “I think the way the prime minister spoke saying that forget the past and we have to bring peace and build new bridges of confidence between Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir is important.”
Azad said Modi made it clear that he would like the politics to be run by all those political parties who were present and he would extend cooperation.
The Bharatiya Janata Party government came under heavy criticism on August 5, 2019, when it revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, granted under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.
