Srinagar: Ahead of its proposed protest in the national capital demanding restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, top National Conference (NC) leadership, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, party president Dr. Farooq Abdullah and several legislators, reached New Delhi on Saturday.
The NC is scheduled to hold a protest on July 20, coinciding with the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, to press the Centre to fulfil its commitment of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources in the party said the leadership is awaiting final permission for holding the protest and expressed hope that clearance would be received soon. The possible venues under consideration include Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site in Delhi, or Ramlila Maidan, which has hosted several major political gatherings.
The party has invited 52 political and religious personalities to participate in the programme as part of its effort to build broader support for the statehood demand.
Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary said the July 20 protest is aimed at reminding the Centre of the assurances given to restore statehood after the completion of elections.
Speaking to ANI, Choudhary said that during the 2024 elections, both the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister had assured the people of Jammu and Kashmir that statehood would be restored after the electoral process.
He said the NC waited patiently for the government to honour its commitment but decided to hold a peaceful demonstration after a prolonged delay.
“Twenty-one months have passed; we have exercised great patience and waited, hoping that the promise made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be fulfilled,” he said.
Senior NC leader and Jammu provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta on Saturday urged the Centre to introduce and pass the Jammu and Kashmir Statehood Restoration Bill during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Addressing party workers at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan in Jammu, Gupta said the demand for statehood was not limited to any political party but represented the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He alleged that the Centre had repeatedly delayed the restoration of statehood by citing different reasons, including delimitation, Assembly elections and security conditions.
Gupta said all these conditions had now been fulfilled, pointing towards improved security, rising tourism and the smooth conduct of major pilgrimages like Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra and Shri Amarnath Yatra.
“What excuse remains now?” he questioned while urging the BJP-led government to fulfil its commitment.
The National Conference had invited leaders across party lines to participate in the Delhi protest. However, the BJP declined the invitation and announced its own Secretariat Gherao programme on July 20 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Kashmir-based parties, including the PDP and People’s Conference, have also decided not to participate, stating that their larger demands related to the restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A have not been addressed.
The demand for restoration of statehood has remained a major political issue in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, after which the erstwhile state was reorganised into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The Supreme Court upheld the Centre’s decision on Article 370 in 2023, while the question of statehood restoration remained separate.
With both the NC and BJP announcing programmes on July 20, political activity is set to intensify in Jammu and Kashmir as the Monsoon Session of Parliament begins.
