The ruling National Conference (NC) has reached out to leaders across the political spectrum, including national opposition parties, regional parties and legislators from Jammu and Kashmir, inviting them to join a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session to press for the restoration of statehood to the union Territory.
The BJP J&K president has also been invited to join the protest. The monsoon session is scheduled to commence on July 20.
In a letter addressed to political leaders, NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah said the protest would be a “solemn and democratic” expression against what he described as the “unconscionable delay” in restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood despite repeated assurances by the union Government.
“I write to you today not merely as the President of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, but also as a former Member of the august Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir,” Abdullah said, urging leaders to stand with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in seeking the restoration of the statehood.
Referring to the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370 and reorganise the erstwhile state into the union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Abdullah said the move was accompanied by repeated assurances in Parliament that statehood would be restored at an appropriate time.
He noted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had exercised restraint and faith in the democratic process by participating in the 2024 Assembly elections instead of resorting to protests.
“Elections were conducted smoothly and peacefully in 2024. The people returned their mandate with confidence and hope. An elected government now functions in Jammu and Kashmir under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. And yet, statehood… remains withheld and elusive to us. There is no explanation forthcoming. There is no timeline offered. There is only silence. This is not merely a delay. It is an affront to the democratic will of an entire people,” the letter said.
Describing the continued absence of statehood as an issue extending beyond Jammu and Kashmir, the veteran politician argued that it raised larger questions about India’s federal structure.
“The Constitution of India is a federal document. The structure it envisions is one where states are not merely administrative conveniences of the Union, but living, breathing expressions of the democratic will of the people who inhabit them,” he wrote.
Abdullah further said the delay in restoring statehood amounted to an erosion of the constitutional framework and appealed to political leaders, irrespective of ideological differences, to support the campaign.
“Our protest shall be peaceful, democratic and constitutional. We are not asking for anything beyond what was promised. Our demands shall not transgress from those which have already been promised to us,” he said.
Calling the restoration of statehood a matter of democratic rights and constitutional propriety, Abdullah said standing with Jammu and Kashmir was also a stand in favour of federalism.
“The cause of federalism is not the cause of one party, one people or one region. It is the cause of every citizen of India who believes that the genius of our constitutional order lies in the balance it strikes between unity and diversity,” he said.
The NC chief said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had chosen “the ballot, the Constitution and the democratic process” and deserved to be treated with dignity and respect.
“I count upon your solidarity. Together, let us send an unambiguous message that the people of Jammu and Kashmir remain the guardians of the voice of those who have been made to wait too long,” he added.
The invitation has been extended to a wide cross-section of political leaders, including Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, DMK president M.K.
Stalin, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby, CPI general secretary D. Raja, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, BSP chief Mayawati, BJD president Naveen Patnaik and several other national and regional leaders.
The list of invitees also includes leaders from Jammu and Kashmir across party lines, including Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, BJP J&K president Sat Paul Sharma, Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari, People’s Conference president Sajjad Lone, J&K Congress president Tariq Karra, CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, Awami Ittehad Party founder Abdul Rashid Sheikh, People’s Democratic Front chairman Hakeem Yasin, Panthers Party chairman Harsh Dev Singh, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, several legislators, and Grand Mufti Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam.
