Jammu, March 25 -- Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday criticized opposition members for walking out over the term "Union Territory," asserting that Jammu and Kashmir remains one until Parliament restores its statehood.

The Jammu & Kashmir Assembly passed a bill to amend the J&K Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act, 2017, amid a walkout by People's Conference leader Sajad Gani Lone, who argued that passing the bill amounted to endorsing UT status.

Responding to the protest, Abdullah said, "Mentioning 'Union Territory' does not change anything. Until Parliament restores our statehood, we remain a UT. Let's not politicize this." He added that walking out would not help the cause and cautioned against basing politics on misinformation.

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