In his first Independence Day speech since Jammu and Kashmir’s status was changed to a union territory, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah strongly condemned the practice of linking terror attacks to the region’s political future. Speaking at Bakshi Stadium, he challenged the idea that Pakistan should be allowed to influence J&K through terrorism, stating that the people of the region should not be punished for crimes they had no role in.
Abdullah’s remarks were made a day after a Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice of India B. R. Gavai, suggested that “incidents like Pahalgam” must be considered when deciding on statehood. Abdullah called this reference “unfortunate,” questioning whether the killers in Pahalgam and their masters in Pakistan would decide if J&K should be a state. He highlighted that residents from Kathua to Kupwara had protested the attack, asserting that previous elected governments, including his own, had successfully brought down militancy over time and would not fail in the future.
