All you lazy journalists, Omar Abdullah says on controversy around statehood for J&K

Srinagar, July 29: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has backtracked from his earlier demand for statehood and said that he simply said that having been the CM of the STATE of J&K, I will not fight an assembly election to the assembly of the UT of J&K.

That is it, no more, no less. That's a far cry from saying I am demanding statehood be restored, Abdullah said in a tweet.

The clarification came after former National Conference minister, Agha Ruhullah Mehdi, an influential Shia leader on Tuesday resigned in protest against Omar's remarks for restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.

In an article published in a national daily, Abdullah had mentioned restoration of statehood for J&K as a pre-condition for contesting the assembly elections in future.

Reports said that the senior leaders of the party blamed Abdullah for forgetting to demand the restoration of Article 370 and 35A.

Mehdi had said that what happened on August 5 is beyond statehood and it should be the last demand. I feel for my fellow citizens as it was a coup on the population of Jammu and Kashmir. Our main demand should be the restoration of special status. The restoration of statehood should be our last demand, he had also said.

"I have no problem being disagreed with for what I say or do but when you invent things & put words in my mouth to attack me then that's more about you than about me. All you lazy journalists & commentators please show me where I've demanded statehood be restored," Omar said in a tweet.