Patna, July 10 (IANS) Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Friday said that the Centre would restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) at an appropriate time.

His remarks came after J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently intensified the demand for the restoration of statehood and constitutional guarantees for the region.

Earlier this week, CM Omar Abdullah announced that his party would hold a protest in Delhi on July 20 to press for the demand.

For the first time, Farooq Abdullah, president of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, has invited parties associated with the INDIA Bloc, along with non-BJP parties such as the Aam Aadmi Party, Shiromani Akali Dal, Biju Janata Dal, and the Bahujan Samaj Party, to participate in the protest. J&K was reorganised into two Union Territories in 2019 after the Centre abrogated the special status granted under Article 370.

Speaking to IANS, Giriraj Singh criticised Farooq Abdullah, alleging that he and his family had consistently spoken in favour of Pakistan and advocated bringing separatists into the political mainstream.

“At a time when Hindus were being killed in Kashmir, they were enjoying the privileges of power. They want separatists and terrorists to be brought into the political mainstream. The government will grant statehood at the right time,” Singh said.

The Union Minister also targeted Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, saying he should have gone a step further and declared that socialism itself is Sanatan.

“Akhilesh Yadav should have gone a step further and said that Samajwad itself is Sanatan. He could have also said that those who ordered firing on Ram devotees are the biggest followers of Sanatan, like Mulayam Singh Yadav. Akhilesh Yadav’s party, and even more so the Congress, under whose rule people had almost forgotten the very existence of Lord Ram,” he said.

“The tukde-tukde gang is also more Sanatani. They abuse Sanatanis while trying to gain Muslim votes. Sanatanis are Sanatanis. These are the same people who wear topis after going to a masjid. Ram Gopal Yadav had said, ‘You all have climbed to the top of the dome, but you will not be able to come down.’ Mulayam Singh had said, ‘I will have Ram devotees killed, but I will not allow the mosque to be demolished’,” he added.

–IANS

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