New Delhi/ Srinagar, Jul 20: National Conference (NC) on Monday staged coordinated protest demonstrations in the national capital and across Jammu and Kashmir, intensifying its campaign for the restoration of statehood and constitutional rights to J&K while accusing the Centre of failing to honour repeated commitments made before Parliament, the Supreme Court, and the people of J&K.
The main demonstration, led by National Conference President and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, witnessed the participation of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament, MLAs, senior party leaders, office-bearers and workers from the party’s youth and women’s wings.
The protest coincided with the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session, a move the party said was intended to remind the Centre of its assurances that J&K’s statehood would be restored after the Assembly elections.
According to the NC, the protesters had planned to march peacefully to Jantar Mantar, the designated venue for public demonstrations in New Delhi.
However, Delhi Police stopped the procession before it could reach the venue.
The party alleged that police imposed restrictions on the march and used tear gas to disperse protesters, a development that drew sharp criticism from the NC leadership.
Addressing party workers after the protest was stopped, Farooq Abdullah said the NC had travelled to New Delhi not for confrontation but to seek justice for the people of J&K.
“We have come here to seek the restoration of the rights, dignity, and honour of the people of J&K. We are also here to demand the restoration of full statehood. These are not new demands. They are commitments made by the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister before Parliament, before the Supreme Court, and before the people of J&K. We have come to remind the government that the time has come to fulfil those promises,” he said.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the delegation had intended to stage a peaceful sit-in but was prevented from doing so despite seeking only to press for the implementation of commitments already made by the Centre.
“We came to the capital of our country to peacefully demand what rightfully belongs to the people of J&K. Unfortunately, even peaceful protest is not being permitted. Democratic rights are being curtailed,” he said.
CM Omar said the NC had chosen to hold the protest in New Delhi because the issue of J&K often failed to receive adequate attention at the national level.
“We wanted to remind the government of the promises made before Parliament and before the Supreme Court that statehood would be restored soon after the Assembly elections. Instead of honouring those assurances, we continue to hear that it will happen at an ‘appropriate time’. What is that appropriate time? The people deserve a clear answer,” he said.
The CM also referred to the Supreme Court’s observations on the restoration of statehood, saying the apex court had expected the process to be completed at the earliest.
“If the government has no intention of restoring statehood, it should say so openly instead of repeatedly making promises without any timeline,” he said.
Following restrictions on movement towards Jantar Mantar, CM Omar travelled in an autorickshaw to continue participating in the protest after security arrangements prevented his convoy from proceeding further.
In a post on social media, he said the party would continue its democratic struggle despite the restrictions.
“We were stopped from getting to Jantar Mantar and stopped from protesting peacefully for what is rightfully ours, but we were not silenced. This is only the beginning of our struggle for statehood, our rights, our dignity and everything that was taken away from us,” Omar posted.
The protest in the national capital was mirrored across J&K, where NC units organised demonstrations at district headquarters and party offices.
In Srinagar, party leaders and workers assembled at the Nawa-e-Subha headquarters before taking out a protest march demanding restoration of statehood and constitutional rights.
The programme was chaired by Srinagar District President Pir Afaq Ahmad and attended by party office-bearers, workers, and supporters from different walks of life.
However, as the procession attempted to move towards its planned destination, police and security personnel prevented it from proceeding further.
Similar demonstrations were organised at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan in Jammu and at district headquarters across J&K, where party workers carried placards demanding restoration of statehood, constitutional guarantees, and democratic rights.
Throughout the demonstrations, protesters raised slogans calling upon the Centre to fulfil its commitments and restore the constitutional position that existed before the reorganisation of J&K.
The NC said that the demand for statehood was neither political rhetoric nor an electoral promise but an issue repeatedly acknowledged by the Centre itself.
Party leaders pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on several occasions publicly stated that statehood would be restored at an appropriate time.
They also referred to submissions made by the Centre before the Supreme Court during hearings on petitions challenging the constitutional changes of August 5, 2019.
The Supreme Court, while delivering its verdict in December 2023, had upheld the constitutional validity of the abrogation of Article 370 but observed that statehood should be restored at the earliest.
Since assuming office after the Assembly elections, the Omar Abdullah-led government has repeatedly passed resolutions and raised the issue before the Centre, describing restoration of statehood as essential for ensuring democratic governance, administrative accountability and the protection of the rights of the people.
Monday’s protest marked one of the largest political mobilisations by the NC outside J&K since the formation of the elected government in J&K.
The party leadership described the demonstrations as the beginning of a sustained democratic campaign and indicated that similar programmes would continue until the Centre announced a clear roadmap for restoring statehood.
“We will continue to pursue our demand peacefully and democratically. Our struggle is constitutional and our objective is the restoration of the democratic rights and dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” senior NC leaders said.
The protests also came against the backdrop of growing political pressure from parties across J&K, all of which have been demanding early restoration of statehood.
Despite restrictions in the national capital and the police action reported by the party, NC leaders said that they would continue to raise the issue both inside and outside the legislature until the Centre fulfilled what they described as its constitutional and political commitment to the people of J&K.
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