CM Omar Abdullah ’losing hope’ regarding statehood restoration

STC NEWS MONITORING DESK
SRINAGAR, OCTOBER 28 (STC): Restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir is not happening as none other than the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said his optimism regarding it was fading, reports a cross section of media.
“I was hopeful from day one about the restoration of statehood. Now, the hope has diminished. The longer you keep us waiting and delay statehood, the less hopeful we’ll be,” Omar told reporters.
The Chief Minister, precisely, expressed his ‘loss of hope’ on restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
A day earlier, in an interview with NDTV, Omar had threatened to resign if the Centre doesn’t restore statehood within a specified timeframe. However, he didn’t disclose the timeframe.
Now, he avoided questions about his resignation threat.
He, however, insisted that lack of statehood was becoming a hurdle for the elected govt to function. He said officers were not posted according to the govt’s choice, and several departments that should have been under the control of the elected govt are not were not with it.
Dismissing allegations of a “secret understanding” with BJP, he said maintaining cordial ties with the Centre was essential “so that the work of governance continues smoothly”, but asserted that “NC has no ties with BJP, and it never will have”.
(Straight Talk Communications)