Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir is not a concession but a constitutional right: Farooq Abdullah

National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir is not a concession but its constitutional right. Addressing a meeting of NC workers in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, the former chief minister called for the immediate return of full democratic rule in the region. “Restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir is not a concession but a constitutional right. Statehood is not a gift, it is the right of the people, which has been long awaited and which has been repeatedly promised by the ruling government,” he said. Abdullah assured party workers that the NC government in Jammu and Kashmir was giving priority to these challenges. He also criticised the Union Territory status of Jammu and Kashmir and said that it was an obstacle to real governance.