Srinagar, Oct 16: Member of Parliament (MP) and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chief Er Rashid on Wednesday expressed mixed feelings regarding Omar Abdullah’s swearing-in as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir.
Extending conditional support, Rashid raised concerns about Omar’s decision to assume the role before the restoration of statehood.
Speaking to reporters in Sopore, Rashid, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said, “We will pray for Omar Abdullah’s success and support him in genuine causes, but we will oppose him if he fails to meet the expectations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
He said there had been requests for Omar to delay accepting the Chief Minister’s position until statehood was restored. However, Abdullah “might have chosen another path”, he added.
The Member Parliament for Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency referred to the past, saying, “In 1953, Sheikh Abdullah was Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, and with Congress’s assistance in 1975, he became Chief Minister. However, Congress parted ways within a year. Now Omar has taken on the same role in the UT—something he once dismissed as a ‘municipality’ and vowed not to contest for.”
Omar continues the legacy of the Sheikh family, he said.
The AIP chief also warned of Congress’s history of betrayal, saying, “Congress supported Sheikh Abdullah in 1975 but quickly withdrew. Today, with Congress backing Omar, we may witness similar instability.”
Rashid urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to politicise the region and called for development packages similar to those provided to Andhra Pradesh. “Jammu and Kashmir deserves focused attention and development,” he asserted.
