Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah praised former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the Assembly on Tuesday, stating that if Vajpayee’s roadmap for JK had been upheld, the region wouldn’t face its current challenges.
Reflecting on Vajpayee’s approach, Omar said the late PM always aimed to improve relations and stability in J&K. “Vajpayee’s slogan of ‘Jamhooriyat, Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat’ was visionary,” he said, adding that Vajpayee’s efforts included starting the Lahore bus service, visiting Minar-e-Pakistan, and advocating for friendly ties with Pakistan.
He recalled that Vajpayee even appointed the Law Minister to engage with the National Conference on the Autonomy resolution, though discussions on this remained unfinished.
Omar expressed regret over the departure from Vajpayee’s roadmap, pointing to the August 5, 2019 decision that revoked Article 370 and divided the former state into two Union Territories, Ladakh and J&K. “Vajpayee worked to connect people across divided parts of J&K. Unfortunately, that path has been abandoned, creating distance instead,” he said.
Omar also paid tribute to his advisor, Devender Singh Rana, expressing sorrow for his passing and regret for being unaware of his health struggles. Omar further noted this session would likely be the last in which tributes are paid to lawmakers from Kargil and Leh, as Ladakh is no longer part of J&K.
