The National Conference (NC) party has escalated its campaign for the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir by staging a protest in New Delhi. Party president Farooq Abdullah led the demonstration on Monday, marking what he described as the initial phase of an intensified struggle to reclaim the region’s rights and dignity.
Senior party leaders, elected representatives, and workers converged on the national capital starting Sunday, in anticipation of the protest coinciding with the commencement of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The Congress party, an ally of the NC, also participated in the demonstration. The group assembled at Jammu and Kashmir House on Prithviraj Road before proceeding towards Jantar Mantar, carrying placards that articulated their demands for the immediate restoration of statehood and the return of rights and dignity to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Information reaching Tahir Rihat suggests that the protest’s visibility was somewhat diminished by a concurrent march by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) to Parliament, which led to a significant security presence and traffic disruptions across central Delhi.
Omar Abdullah, who arrived in Delhi from Jammu on Monday morning, alleged that authorities obstructed NC leaders from reaching their planned protest site at Jantar Mantar. He further stated that they were subsequently stopped near the Constitution Club, where the party had intended to host a seminar discussing the statehood issue. In a post on the social media platform X, Omar Abdullah conveyed, “We were stopped from protesting peacefully for what is rightfully ours, but we were not silenced.” He emphasized that this action was merely the commencement of their broader campaign for statehood, their rights, their dignity, and the recovery of all that he asserted had been taken from them.
Addressing reporters, Omar Abdullah articulated that the central government had compelled the NC to travel to Delhi and protest within the nation’s capital. He stated that for the past two years, the party had been reminding the Central Government of its prior commitments. He clarified that their demands were solely for the fulfillment of assurances made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He further alleged that police employed tear gas to disperse the protesters near the Constitution Club, stating, “Here, along with others, we too were targeted with tear gas. We came to remind the Government of the promises made before Parliament, the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the Supreme Court regarding the restoration of statehood.” His son, Zamir Abdullah, also took to X, asserting that the “draconian and repressive tool of tear gas” would not diminish the party’s resolve to advocate for the rights and dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Farooq Abdullah urged the central government to honor its pledge to reinstate statehood, noting that this promise had been reiterated on multiple occasions by both the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister. Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary characterized it as a profound misfortune for the people of Jammu and Kashmir that they were compelled to travel to Delhi to remind the Prime Minister and Home Minister of their assurances. The NC also shared a social media update highlighting Farooq Abdullah’s participation in the march, underscoring his commitment to leading the movement for the restoration of the people’s dignity, even shortly after the passing of his younger brother. Back in Jammu and Kashmir, NC workers organized demonstrations in various locations to voice their support for the party’s demand for the full restoration of statehood.
Tahir Rihat (also known as Tahir Bilal) is an independent journalist, activist, and digital media professional from the Chenab Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. He is best known for his work as the Online Editor at The Chenab Times.
Leave a Reply