National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday hesitantly swore his loyalty to the reinstatement of Article 370 and said the NC-Congress government would move a resolution seeking the restoration of statehood at its first cabinet meeting.

Omar said it would be “foolish” to expect the BJP-led government at the Centre to return what it had snatched from Jammu and Kashmir.

“Our political stand will not change. We never said we would be silent on Article 370 or that Article 370 was not an issue for now. But we are not ready to fool people,” Omar told reporters here.

“But we will talk about it. I am hopeful that tomorrow if not today, there will be a new government with whom we will talk about it and seek something for Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

On Tuesday night, Omar had told a TV channel that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was an honourable man who would fulfil his promise of restoring statehood but he appeared to say that his party would not talk about the restoration of Article 370.

“None of us is foolish enough, nor did we try to convince the voters that we are going to work for the 370 agenda with the current government in Delhi. We know we are not going to get it back from the government that took it away from you,” Omar told the channel.

“So set that aside for now. Our immediate priority is to work with the government in Delhi to get statehood back for Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister is an honourable man, he has promised the people of Jammu and Kashmir that statehood will be restored... promised that in every single speech while campaigning here.”

Many social media users slammed Omar’s remarks on Article 370 as a U-turn, with the Right-wing ecosystem crediting the BJP-led Centre for the change of heart.