Omar Abdullah urges Modi to restore Jammu and Kashmir statehood early

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and pressed for the early restoration of statehood to the Union Territory. The meeting came a week after the National Conference announced plans for a protest at Jantar Mantar to push the same demand. Abdullah also discussed the region's economy, development and public welfare with the prime minister.

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According to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office, Abdullah told Modi that restoring statehood would be an important step in strengthening democratic institutions and deepening public participation. He asked that the process be taken forward at the earliest. The chief minister also congratulated Modi on completing 12 years as prime minister during the meeting.

The discussion took place a day after Abdullah met Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and it followed the National Conference's decision on June 3 to send all its legislators to Delhi on the first day of Parliament's Monsoon Session. The party said it would stage a sit-in at Jantar Mantar to press for the return of statehood. Abdullah said Jammu and Kashmir was committed to being a full and productive partner in India's growth story.

The issue matters because statehood remains one of the central political demands in Jammu and Kashmir. Abdullah said the early restoration of statehood, together with continued support from the government of India, would strengthen the region's march towards inclusive growth, prosperity and good governance. He also linked the demand to economic acceleration and better connectivity, suggesting that the question is tied not only to constitutional status but also to development planning.

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Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised as a Union Territory in 2019, and the question of when statehood might return has remained a major point of political debate since then. The National Conference has made the issue a public campaign focus, and the planned protest at Jantar Mantar shows that the party is seeking to keep pressure on the central government. Abdullah's direct meeting with Modi indicates that the demand is being pursued both through formal political channels and public mobilisation.

What remains unclear is whether the meeting produced any commitment on timing or process. The statement released after the talks did not give a timeline for restoration of statehood, and no official response from the prime minister's office was included in the supplied material. The next developments to watch are whether the planned protest goes ahead as announced and whether the central government signals any change in its position on statehood.

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