Srinagar, July 11 (KINS): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday announced that the National Conference will hold a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20, demanding the immediate restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
Addressing party workers at Hazratbal on the death anniversary of Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah, Omar said the Centre must fulfil its repeated commitment to restore statehood, asserting that it cannot be made conditional on the BJP forming the government in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the National Conference had waited patiently for nearly two years, hoping the Union Government would honour the assurances given before the Supreme Court and to the people. “Our patience should not be mistaken for weakness. We chose dialogue over confrontation, but democratic protest is our constitutional right when promises remain unfulfilled,” he said.
The Chief Minister also alleged an attempt to engineer defections within the National Conference, claiming that one of his party MLAs from Jammu was offered ₹20–30 crore, a ministerial berth and assurances of statehood restoration if he joined the BJP. He termed the alleged offer an insult to the people’s mandate and the integrity of elected representatives.
Referring to the Supreme Court proceedings on Article 370, Omar said the Centre had outlined a roadmap of delimitation, Assembly elections and restoration of statehood. With delimitation completed and elections held, he said there was no justification for any further delay.
He also questioned the role of the elected government if major administrative decisions continued to remain with the Raj Bhavan, asking what purpose elections served if governance was not in the hands of the people’s representatives.
Omar said the issue of statehood had been raised repeatedly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other Union ministers, but every meeting ended with assurances that it would be restored at an “appropriate time.”
Challenging the Centre, he said if its policy was to restore statehood only after the BJP came to power in Jammu and Kashmir, it should say so openly instead of keeping the people in uncertainty.
Reaffirming the National Conference’s stand, Omar said the party would continue its peaceful and democratic struggle until Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood is fully restored.(KINS)
Statehood can’t be held hostage, NC to protest in Delhi on July 20: Omar Abdullah
