Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to take back parts of Jammu and Kashmir currently under Pakistan and China’s control, questioning the party’s silence on the issue.
Speaking in the J&K Assembly, Abdullah pointed out that while the BJP frequently criticizes Congress for losing Haji Pir to Pakistan, it has failed to answer what it reclaimed during the 1999 Kargil war.
“One part of Kashmir is with Pakistan. Today, the Foreign Minister has said they will take it back. Who has stopped you? We never opposed that. But why are you silent on the part that is with China?” Abdullah asked.
He further challenged the BJP, saying that since it had the opportunity to reclaim lost territory during the Kargil war, it should now act and recover all disputed regions. “None of us will oppose you if you take them back today,” he asserted.
Criticism Over Ladakh and J&K Reorganization
Abdullah also criticized the BJP over the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. He accused the party of altering the historical identity of the state handed down by the Dogra rulers.
“What we inherited from Maharaja Bahadur was the state of J&K, including Ladakh. What did you do with this state?” Abdullah asked, adding that previous National Conference, PDP, or Congress governments never renamed institutions named after Dogra rulers, unlike the BJP, which changed J&K’s political map.
He also pointed out the ongoing protests in Ladakh, where people—including the Buddhist population—are now demanding their rights. “Those who celebrated then now say they were better off with J&K,” Abdullah said, referring to the discontent among Ladakh residents after the region’s separation from Jammu and Kashmir.
Criticism of BJP’s Stand on 1931 Martyrs
Abdullah condemned BJP leader Sunil Sharma’s remarks referring to the 22 martyrs of July 13, 1931, as “traitors.” He emphasized that the region had inherited state subject laws from the Maharaja for the protection of land and jobs, which are now gone.
Comparing J&K with Himachal Pradesh, Abdullah said: “If a factory or hotel is set up in Himachal, 70% of jobs are reserved for locals. Do we have any such law here?”
His statements come amid rising political tensions in J&K, with regional parties demanding the restoration of statehood and special rights for the region’s people.
