Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on his maiden visit to the national capital since he assumed the reins of power last week, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This comes after a historic victory in the recent assembly polls-the first in a decade- where Abdullah’s National Conference won 42 out of 90 assembly seats.
In its first cabinet meeting, the new dispensation moved a resolution to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Officials said the restoration of statehood is considered an important Confidence-Building Measure toward a healing process for reinstating constitutional rights and preserving the residents’ unique identity.
The cabinet authorized Abdullah to emphasize the restoration of statehood during the meeting with the prime minister and central government functionaries. Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also passed this resolution.
Abdullah’s meeting with Modi comes a day after terrorists from the banned group Lashkar-e-Taiba murdered seven people, including a local doctor and six non-local laborers, in Ganderbal district.
Earlier in the day, Abdullah called Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to discuss the progress of ongoing road connectivity projects in Jammu and Kashmir. Making a goodwill gesture, Abdullah presented Gadkari with a traditional Kashmiri shawl.
Meanwhile, Abdullah also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday for almost 30 minutes to emphasize that the new dispensation was serious about resolving major issues in the region.
