‘How Can I Use Deaths of 26 Innocent People to Demand Statehood in Delhi?’ CM Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told the Legislative Assembly on Monday that Kashmir for the first time since the onset of terrorism has "revolted against terrorism" in the wake of Pahalgam attack.

Addressing a special Assembly session, Omar said the spontaneous outpouring of grief and condemnation across Kashmir marked "the beginning of the end of terrorism" in the region.

"For the first time in twenty-six years, I saw the people of Jammu and Kashmir stand up and say, 'Not in my name. They came out on their own. No political party organised them. No government order summoned them. They lit candles, carried banners, and walked silently through the streets to tell the perpetrators: whoever you did this for, you did not do it for me," Omar said while seeking to pass the resolution that condemned the terror attack.

The Chief Minister recalled visiting the police control room on the night of the attack, where the bodies of 26 civilians were lying. He said he had no words to offer to the grieving families. "What was the fault of  these families?" he asked, pausing briefly. "That they had come here for the first time to find some peace? And life made them pay such a heavy price."

Omar spoke about the heavy cost Kashmir has borne over the past three decades. "We lost people in the attack on this very Assembly complex in October 2001. Camps were attacked. Pandit settlements, Sikh colonies – no one was spared. We thought those days are gone now. But April 22 attack recreated the nightmare."

The Chief Minister added even amid the bloodshed, there was a glimmer of hope. "For the first time, Kashmiris did not rationalise, justify, or stay silent. They condemned loudly and unequivocally. Terrorism will not end because of guns or security forces alone. It will end only when the people walk with us – and now it feels like they have started coming to us," Omar said.

Perhaps the most symbolic moment, Omar noted, came from Srinagar's historic Jamia Masjid. "Before Friday prayers, the mosque – a site that has often been associated with fiery political sermons – fell silent. Worshippers observed 2-minute silence in memory of the victims".

Addressing growing demands for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood – an issue that has dominated political discourse since the revocation of Article 370 – Omar made it clear that he would not exploit the tragedy for political leverage.

"How can I, with what face, use the deaths of 26 innocent people to go to Delhi and demand statehood?" he said. "Am I so cheap? Is the value of those lives so little that I would turn their tragedy into a bargaining chip for political favors? No. Curse upon me even if I think of such a thing."

He assured the House that the struggle for full statehood would continue, but stressed that today was not the day for political demands. "Today, there is no politics. No business rules. No statehood demands. Only one thing: a heartfelt condemnation of the attack and solidarity with the families," he said.

The Chief Minister recounted extraordinary tales of bravery and humanity from the day of the attack. "A young boy refused to abandon a tourist family under fire, telling the father, 'Before anyone reaches your wife and child, they must get past me'. Boatmen in Dal Lake offered free of cost fruits to tourists. Taxi drivers and hotel owners opened their homes to visitors fleeing the violence, refusing any payment. This is the Kashmir I am proud of. This is our hospitality. This is our spirit."

He also acknowledged that some Kashmiris faced harassment in parts of the country in the immediate aftermath of the attack, but praised the state governments and police forces that acted swiftly to prevent escalation. Omar said the government initiated measures to set up dedicated helpline numbers and nodal officers in key cities so that Kashmiris facing threats could seek immediate help.

He also warned those misusing social media to spread false narratives and fake news that could inflame tensions. "Stop your mischief," he said sharply. "When you spread lies, you make real victims suffer even more. We will not tolerate it."