Examiner News Desk | Srinagar:
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, National Conference (NC) president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, and several party legislators arrived in New Delhi on Saturday ahead of the National Conference’s proposed protest seeking the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
The senior NC leadership departed Srinagar on Saturday afternoon and reached the national capital to participate in the protest programme, scheduled to coincide with the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on July 20.
The National Conference has described the protest as part of its ongoing democratic campaign for the restoration of statehood, which was revoked following the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in August 2019.
According to party sources, the NC is awaiting official permission from the authorities to hold the demonstration. The party remains optimistic that approval will be granted before the scheduled protest.
Sources said the protest is likely to be held either at Jantar Mantar, the designated venue for demonstrations in the national capital, or at Ramlila Maidan, which has traditionally hosted major political rallies and public gatherings.
“The party is hopeful that the required permission will be granted shortly. Preparations are underway, and senior leaders have already reached Delhi to coordinate the programme,” a party functionary said.
The protest is expected to witness the participation of NC legislators, office-bearers and workers from Jammu and Kashmir, along with several political and public figures who have been invited by the party.
As part of its outreach, the National Conference had extended invitations to 52 political, social and religious personalities to join the demonstration. However, the proposed event has received a mixed response from the political spectrum.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declined the invitation, accusing the National Conference of pursuing a politically motivated agenda. Instead, the party has announced that it will organise a Secretariat gherao in Jammu and Kashmir on the same day to highlight issues related to governance and public welfare.
Meanwhile, several Kashmir-based regional parties, including the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (PC), have also decided to stay away from the NC’s programme. The parties have maintained that while they support the restoration of statehood, they cannot endorse a campaign that does not simultaneously seek the restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A, which were abrogated by the Centre in August 2019.
The differing positions have exposed continuing political divisions among regional parties over the roadmap for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional and political status.
In parallel, the BJP has intensified preparations for its own programme. Senior party leaders, including Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, have reached Kashmir to mobilise support for the proposed Secretariat gherao, setting the stage for competing political demonstrations over Jammu and Kashmir’s future.
The developments come as political activity gathers pace ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, with the issue of statehood expected to remain at the centre of the political discourse in Jammu and Kashmir.
