'If Only!': CM Omar Abdullah Shares Fake 'Trump Tweet' Backing J&K Statehood Demand

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday shared a fake social media post falsely attributed to US President Donald Trump that appeared to endorse the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, captioning it with the words, "If only!"

The fabricated post praised Abdullah and read, "Let's bring back statehood and make J&K Great Again." Although the post was not genuine, Abdullah's brief remark was widely interpreted as a reflection of his frustration over the continued delay in restoring Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.

His post came a day after he intensified his criticism of the Centre, questioning why his party should have to seek international attention if promises made within India remained unfulfilled. Addressing a public rally in Jammu on Sunday, Abdullah asked whether the National Conference should "go to America and protest before Donald Trump or outside the White House" to demand statehood, adding that the party was only seeking the implementation of assurances made in India's own capital.

Abdullah also announced that the National Conference's July 20 protest in Delhi would mark the beginning of a fresh phase of its campaign for statehood. He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the issue as a political tool instead of honouring commitments made during the 2024 Assembly election campaign.

Since the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in August 2019, the restoration of full statehood has remained a key political demand. The Centre has repeatedly said that statehood will be restored at an appropriate time.