Katra (JK): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday raked up the issue of restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir at the flagging off of the maiden train to Kashmir by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this pilgrim town.
“There are four persons on this stage who were present at the inauguration of the Katra railway station (in 2014). You had just won the election, becoming the Prime Minister for the first time. MoS in PMO Jeetendra Singh was present then, and our LG Manoj Sinha sahib was discharging duties as MoS Railways, and I was here as the chief minister.
“If you see, by the blessings of Mata (Vaishno Devi), Sinha has got a promotion, and I had a demotion. I was the chief minister of a state, and now I am the CM of the UT. However, I believe that it will not take long to rectify it …. Jammu and Kashmir will again get the statehood under your watch only,” Abdullah said.
Earlier, Modi laid the foundation stone, inaugurated, and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects worth over ₹46,000 crore at Katra, Jammu. The PM also inaugurated the Chenab bridge – the world’s highest railway arch bridge and the Anji bridge – India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge. Modi also flagged off two Vande Bharat trains between Katra and Srinagar.
“If you see, by the blessings of Mata (Vaishno Devi), Sinhaji has got a promotion (LG now), and I had a demotion. I was the chief minister of a state, and now I am the CM of the UT. However, I believe that it will not take long to rectify it …. Jammu and Kashmir will again get the statehood under your watch only,” Abdullah said.
The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
Omar Abdullah has long been demanding statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, something that the Union government has also promised.
Abdullah said many people have dreamt of seeing a train chugging into Kashmir and that he was in class 8th when he heard of this project for the first time.
