SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said the Centre remains committed to restoring statehood to the Union Territory, urging people to trust the assurances given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament.
In an interview with a national television channel, Sinha said the statements made by the country’s top leadership on the issue were significant and should be taken seriously. He recalled that both Modi and Shah had earlier informed Parliament that statehood would be restored at an appropriate time following the completion of delimitation and Assembly elections.
Referring to the recently concluded Assembly polls, Sinha said the elections were held peacefully with strong voter participation and without incidents of re-polling or stone-pelting.
He added that assurances made on the floor of Parliament carry constitutional and political significance. Commenting on the present administration, Sinha said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is functioning effectively, while refraining from directly responding to the National Conference’s repeated demand for immediate restoration of statehood.
