Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that Article 370 was never responsible for the lack of development in the erstwhile state, asserting that its abrogation had not led to any extraordinary economic transformation in the region.
Speaking at The Hindu Huddle, Omar said that Jammu and Kashmir’s developmental and economic challenges were largely the result of decades of violence and instability rather than its former special constitutional status.
“Article 370 was never a cause of any lack of development in Jammu and Kashmir, nor has its revocation suddenly resulted in massive development,” he said.
The National Conference leader said the region had suffered economically due to nearly three decades of militancy, which discouraged investors and businesses from operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
“People will not invest money in a part of the country that they deem to be unsafe. The perception that Jammu and Kashmir was an unsafe place to visit or do business in is what hurt us, not Article 370,” Abdullah said.
He also accused the BJP of using Article 370 as a political tool, stating that similar constitutional protections continue to exist in other parts of the country without attracting the same criticism.
Abdullah pointed out that restrictions on land ownership and entry permits remain in places like Lakshadweep and parts of the Northeast, but are rarely questioned.
“The only thing that was talked about was Jammu and Kashmir and the fact that you couldn’t buy land there. That was the stick used to beat us with,” he said.
Referring to the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister said it remained the foremost priority of his government, though there was still no clarity regarding the conditions required for its return.
“My target is to achieve statehood, yet I have no idea what goals I have to achieve to reach that point,” he said.
Omar further stated that governance would improve once Jammu and Kashmir regains statehood, arguing that the powers of an elected government remain limited under the existing Union Territory framework.
“It is better to be a state than a Union Territory. That is what we are trying to correct,” Abdullah added.