Srinagar, Aug 25 : Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today expressed hope that the Supreme Court would intervene to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying that while the Central Government has failed to take a decision, “we are still hoping that at least the Supreme Court will do it.”

Omar was responding to a query on the Supreme Court’s refusal to advance the hearing date on petitions seeking the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.

“We also want there is no more delay in this decision. We have been in government for more than 10 months. And from the first day, we have been behind the statehood,” Omar told reporters in Srinagar.

He said the very first decision of his Cabinet was to pass a resolution seeking statehood, which he later handed over to the Prime Minister.

“When I met the Prime Minister sahib for the first time, the first thing I did was to put the Cabinet resolution in his hands. We have been waiting, but we have not received any benefit from our waiting,” he said.

Calling it “a pity” that the Supreme Court was not ready to hear the matter before October 10, Omar added: “We will wait a little longer. But we are still hoping that where the Central Government has not made this decision, at least the Supreme Court will do it.”

The Chief Minister said that elections in Jammu and Kashmir had only been possible after the Supreme Court imposed a time restriction on the process, and regretted that no such deadline was fixed for statehood.

“If we had not received the order for the election of the Supreme Court, perhaps I would have been talking to you as the Chief Minister. Elections were only possible in Jammu and Kashmir when the Supreme Court imposed a time restriction on it. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court did not impose a time restriction on statehood. That is why we are being dragged so much,” he said.

Omar expressed hope that the matter, once taken up after October 10, would move forward.
“I hope that when this matter comes before the Supreme Court after October 10, a time restriction will be imposed on it and we will get the statehood status back soon.”

On the party’s signature campaign for restoration of statehood, Omar said: “It is going on. We will complete it. Whatever we have to do, we will pass it on to the Central Government and the Supreme Court.”

Responding to the PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti’s protest over the plight of Kashmiri prisoners, Omar said this will not yield results, stressing that security-related decisions concerning Jammu and Kashmir are taken in New Delhi.

“We are all worried about this issue, but nothing will be achieved by doing it in Srinagar. The security decisions of Jammu and Kashmir are taken in Delhi. They are taken in by the Home Ministry. So it would be better if they go to Delhi and meet the Home Minister,” Omar said

He said his government had already raised similar concerns with the Centre.
“We put these things in front of the Home Minister in Delhi because the decision has to be made from there. If we have to do it just for show, then do it here,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Mehbooba led a protest march in Srinagar demanding the release of Kashmiri prisoners and the shifting of detainees from outside jails back to Jammu and Kashmir.