National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, who attended the crucial meeting hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday evening, said it was the duty of the central governmnent to restore the broken trust of the people.

"A trust has broken between the Centre and Kashmir. It is the Centre's responsibility and PM should take all the measures required to restore it," the 51-year-old former chief minister of the erstwhile state was quoted as saying by NDTV. He was among several political leaders jailed for months as the Modi government scrapped the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 and bifurcated the state into two union territories.

Following this, there was a curfew, detention of political leaders, shutting down of phone and internet services. The political process had been suspended in 2018 when the BJP snapped ties with then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti after running a coalition for two years with People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Abdullah said they are also going to "use the constitutional right to challenge this decision (scrapping of special status) in the Supreme Court".

"It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court has not found the time to start hearings in these matters... but we are not going to stop... If we have to start a campaign, however long it is... we will do it peacefully, legally and constitutionally... Won't put the people in harm's way," he told NDTV.

After concluding the crucial meeting with political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir concluded, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said delimitation has to happen at a "quick pace so that polls can happen".
He urged all political leaders to get on board with the process of redrawing assembly constituencies known as delimitation.

"Decisions that weren't in the interest of Kashmir should be taken back. It was given the status of a union territory, people don't like it. They want full statehood for J&K and the J&K cadre restored…   Jammu and Kashmir should be restored to full statehood," Abdullah told reporters. "We told the Prime Minister that we don't stand with what was done on 5th August 2019. We're not ready to accept it. But we won't take the law into our hands. We'll fight this in court," he added. (SAM)