The Jammu and Kashmir government, led by Omar Abdullah, and Opposition parties in Kashmir have traded barbs over the delay in the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory (UT) and the release and return of political prisoners detained across various jails in the country.
Omar Abdullah said the release of prisoners was under the jurisdiction of the Lieutenant Governor and the Union Home Ministry in New Delhi, the administration in the Union Territory.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, during a protest rally in Srinagar, demanded the release of prisoners detained in 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370 and hundreds more detained after the Pahalgam attack.
“I requested Omar Abdullah to constitute an all-party delegation to visit these jails or, if that is not possible, at least send two or three ministers to assess the situation. At the very least, he should meet the Home Minister and request that Kashmiri prisoners be shifted back to jails in Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
In response, Omar said, “Mehbooba has raised the issue of prisoners' rights, but these decisions are taken in Delhi.” He added that it would be more effective if political leaders met the Home Minister directly to present their concerns.
“In my first interaction with the Prime Minister after becoming the chief minister, I handed him the cabinet resolution,” he said.
Though the Prime Minister and Home Minister have done nothing to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, they are deliberately delaying the process.
On the issue of releasing those detained without charges and shifting political prisoners from outside prisons to J&K, Omar said, “All of us are worried about this. But the security decisions of Jammu and Kashmir are taken in Delhi, in the Home Ministry. So, it would be better if she met the Home Minister and raised the matter there, like we did. If it is only for show, then do it here. No one will object.”
Referring to the Supreme Court's recent rejection of hearing an urgent plea in respect to the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, he said he hoped that when the case comes up again after October 10, the Court would set a deadline for restoring statehood.
While responding to a query on a signature campaign initiated by his government seeking restoration of the statehood, he said it was ongoing and would be submitted to both the Central Government and the Supreme Court once completed.
Expressing dismay over the Supreme Court's refusal to hear the urgent plea, Omar said, “It is a pity that the SC is not ready to hear this before October 10. We will wait a little longer. But we are still hoping that where the Central Government has not made this decision, at least the Court should do it.”
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