Jammu, 12 July (H.S.): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday announced a fresh phase of protests beginning July 20 against the Centre in Delhi over unexplained delay in restoring of statehood to the Union Territory.

Addressing a public rally here, Abdullah said his party waited for two years after the Assembly election in the hope that the Centre would restore statehood.

We have given the Central government enough time. For nearly two years, we pursued talks for the restoration of statehood. Now we will adopt a new strategy, Abdullah said.

Questioning the Centre's repeated deferral of statehood to an appropriate time, the chief minister wondered what that appropriate time constituted and whether it meant the BJP coming to power in Jammu and Kashmir.

The BJP leaders are making statements against NC's Jantar Mantar protest and saying that we will not get the statehood by doing this protest...If not in Delhi, then where? he asked.

If decisions concerning a part of our own country cannot be taken in our own national capital, where are they supposed to be taken? he added.

Abdullah said the BJP constantly undermined its efforts for statehood through protests in J-K, in the Assembly, and is now doing the same with its protest in the national capital.

So what do they expect us to do? Should we go to America and protest outside the White House to seek Jammu and Kashmir's statehood? We are only asking for a promise made in our own country to be honoured in our own country's capital, he said.

The National Conference leader accused the BJP of using statehood as a bait to wield as a political instrument rather than fulfilling a constitutional commitment.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar