If Vajpayee had been alive, J&K wouldn't be a UT: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated that the region would not have been downgraded to a Union Territory if former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's approach to Kashmir had been followed. Speaking during the obituary references in the legislative assembly, Abdullah emphasized Vajpayee's vision for dialogue and connection, noting that Vajpayee recognized the need to engage with J&K after the Assembly’s resolution for greater autonomy was rejected by New Delhi.

Abdullah praised Vajpayee as a "towering personality" committed to fostering peace, citing initiatives like the Lahore bus service and his visit to Minar-e-Pakistan as symbols of his dedication to peace and connection between neighboring nations. Abdullah also highlighted Vajpayee's guiding slogan, "Insaniyat (humanity), Jamhuriyat (democracy), and Kashmiriyat (Kashmiri identity)," which he called a true reflection of statesmanship, adding that Vajpayee was the only leader to champion this vision.

He further recalled Vajpayee's efforts to open roads and connect divided parts of J&K, aiming to build personal relationships and strengthen civil society. However, Abdullah lamented that Vajpayee’s roadmap has been abandoned, creating divisions rather than connections.

He also paid tribute to the late BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana, recalling their friendship and expressing sorrow over his untimely passing.

With IANS inputs