Amritsar, Sep 17 (JKNS): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday reiterated his demand for restoration of statehood to J&K, saying that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted to make a significant announcement on his birthday, restoring the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir would be one such step.
“If nothing else, give us the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. What else do we need?” CM Omar said while speaking to reporters in Amritsar as per news agency JKNS.
CM Omar said Jammu and Kashmir had been given assurances that statehood would be restored after the Assembly elections, but no written commitment was provided.
“We were told that statehood would be restored to Jammu & Kashmir after the elections, but nothing was put in writing; assurances were given verbally, even in Parliament and the Supreme Court,” he said.
He said the sequence communicated by the Centre involved delimitation, elections and restoration of statehood. While delimitation and elections had taken place, the restoration of statehood remained pending, he said.
CM Omar also advised leaders in Ladakh, who are currently in talks with the Centre, not to rely solely on verbal assurances and to seek commitments in writing.
“Do not rely on verbal assurances but get it in writing,” he said, referring to J&K’s experience.
On UPI merchant discount rate (MDR) charges, Omar said the charges would apply to businesses facilitating transactions rather than customers, and that the cost could not be passed on to customers.
He said transactions between individuals would not attract such a charge, while merchant transactions below ₹2,000 would not carry merchant charges under the arrangement he referred to. (JKNS)
