Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 10 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that the responsibility to strengthen the INDIA bloc lies with its largest partners, not with individual regional leaders. He also reiterated his demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, calling the current status of the former state a 'huge betrayal' to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

CM Abdullah arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday to take part in the Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF) travel trade show.

Abdullah remarked that the alliance has not met formally since the post-Lok Sabha election meeting held at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in New Delhi.

'The responsibility to strengthen the INDIA alliance is neither mine nor Mamata Banerjee's. This responsibility belongs to the biggest partner of the INDIA Alliance. I have said multiple times that it is unfortunate that we don't meet. The last meeting was held right after the elections at Mallikarjun Kharge's residence. There has been no meeting since then,' he said.

Abdullah also spoke strongly about the need to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, calling the Union Territory status imposed in 2019 a 'huge betrayal.'

Abdullah said, 'Unfortunately, being a Union Territory, the security of the state is not our responsibility. We want that responsibility to be ours. Our government should be given the responsibility of J&K as soon as possible. We don't want to be a Union Territory. Making us a Union Territory was a huge betrayal to us.'

He emphasised that the BJP and the Central government had committed to restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir

'The Central government and the BJP are promise-bond to make J&K a state again. This should not be delayed now. We should be given the statehood as soon as possible and we should have the responsibility of the security of the state,' he said.

Earlier on Thursday, Abdullah attended a conference with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Howrah, expressing gratitude for her empathetic stance during Kashmir's trying times and sowing seeds for a promising partnership in trade, tourism, and industrialisation that could soon transform the scenic landscapes of J&K into a hotspot for West Bengal tourists.

'I thank West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for her sympathy towards the people of J&K. In 2019, during a challenging political period, Didi expressed her concerns, stating that whatever was happening was wrong. After the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, Didi sent a team from here to assist those affected by the shelling,' Omar said during a joint press conference.

CM Abdullah was referencing the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which led to the removal of Jammu and Kashmir's special status; the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 Indian tourists; and the subsequent retaliatory Operation Sindoor. (ANI)