The Chief Minister of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah has said that he holds little expectation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in India, adding that this government will not last forever.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Omar Abdullah made these remarks during his speech on the final day of the legislative assembly session in Srinagar. He further remarked that the resolution passed by the assembly calling for the restoration of IIOJK’s special status has given the Kashmiri people their voice back. This resolution, he noted, has inspired hope and provided an opportunity for the people to express themselves once again. He described the first session of the newly elected assembly as historic, both in terms of its agenda and the progress it achieved, adding it signifies that Jammu and Kashmir’s unique status must be respected.

Omar Abdullah emphasized that his government is fully committed to the welfare of all citizens, pledging to work for the betterment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

He also reflected on the significant changes that occurred after 2014, recalling that at that time, occupied Jammu and Kashmir had its own flag, constitution, and distinct identity. However, he lamented that those symbols of identity have now been stripped away. He also recalled the painful experience of August 4, 2019, when the Modi government detained him and other political leaders, revoked Article 370 and 35A, and bifurcated IIOJK into two Union Territories. Despite these hardships, he expressed hope for the restoration of the territory’s statehood, asserting that the dark days are behind them.

Omar Abdullah also took the opportunity to criticize the BJP, saying its members of failed in their duties by causing disturbances in the assembly. He said the BJP legislators were responsible for the chaos that erupted and then walked out of the session in protest.

The BJP had boycotted the final day of the session. Earlier, BJP members had staged protests against the resolution passed by the assembly on the restoration of IIOJK’s special status, leading to a series of disruptions. On the final day of the session, 12 BJP members were expelled for creating a disturbance, bringing the total expulsions to 15 over the course of the session. This marked the first session of the newly elected assembly of IIOJK, which began on November 4 and concluded after five days of deliberations.