Srinagar, July 15: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the National Conference (NC) will go ahead with its planned programme in New Delhi, asserting that party leaders and workers will leave for the national capital on July 19 even if permission for the proposed protest at Jantar Mantar is denied.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Omar said the party remained steadfast in its demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s “snatched rights” and statehood. He said the planned protest would proceed as scheduled, adding that the late Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal had also strongly believed in the restoration of the region’s rights.
Recalling recent events, the Chief Minister said the party had decided not to alter its political programmes even when Dr. Kamal’s health took a critical turn on July 11. He said doctors had then indicated that the veteran leader’s condition was extremely serious, but National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah directed the party to continue with its scheduled programme in Jammu on July 12.
“If we did not cancel that programme despite the circumstances, there is no question of cancelling our protest on July 20,” Omar said.
He added that party functionaries had already been instructed to travel to New Delhi on July 19, regardless of whether official permission for the demonstration is granted.
