Omar Abdullah voices concern over J-K statehood amid BJP’s poll loss

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that an impression was developing in the Union Territory that its statehood will not be restored as the BJP could not win assembly elections last yearHe said BJP was the only party that opposed statehood restorationSometimes it looks like people of Jammu and Kashmir will not get statehood because the BJP lost the elections This is an injustice because nowhere was it said that statehood will be restored only if the BJP wins Abdullah told media outside his private officeIf there is opposition to the restoration of statehood it is coming only from the BJP he saidAbdullah said the biggest challenge before his 11monthold government is that Jammu and Kashmir is not a stateThe way the people were promised and the Supreme Court was informed we expected it to be a threestep process first delimitation then elections followed by restoration of statehood the chief minister saidThe delimitation happened elections were conducted and people enthusiastically participated in the polls It was bad luck for the BJP that they did not win the polls but people cannot be punished for that he saidOn tourism in Kashmir Abdullah said the stakeholders are not happyWe made efforts for revival of tourism in the Valley But tourists did not come in numbers like we expected But we will continue our efforts he saidAsked about the controversy surrounding the I love Muhammad campaign Abdullah said only a mentally sick person can make a case out of writing these wordsWho can have a problem with these three words I fail to understand how it can become a basis for arrest he assertedI would like the courts to set it right at the earliest How is it illegal to write I love Muhammad he askedAbdullah said even if the campaign were linked to Muslims the act of writing I Love Muhammad cannot be illegalDont people of other religions praise their holy persons and leaders When you travel outside Kashmir there is hardly a vehicle that does not have a picture of a deity If that is not illegal how does this become illegal he askedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever