Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Chief Minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the party’s statehood protest in New Delhi marked only the opening move of a sustained campaign, with further steps to be decided by the party leadership in the coming weeks.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Omar said the objective behind the demonstration at Jantar Mantar was to remind the Centre of its outstanding commitments regarding the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, an issue that has remained central to the National Conference’s political agenda since the region’s special status was withdrawn in 2019. He said the party had not diluted its position on the matter despite being part of the elected government in the Union Territory.
The Chief Minister maintained that restoration of statehood remains the party’s top priority, stressing that the National Conference has not abandoned its broader political agenda even while functioning within the constraints of the present constitutional arrangement. He said the core of the issue lies in the constitutional relationship between Jammu and Kashmir and the Centre, and that resolving it requires sustained political engagement rather than a one-time demonstration.
Omar said the next phase of the campaign would be charted out at the organisational level under the leadership of party president Dr Farooq Abdullah, indicating that the National Conference intends to widen its mobilisation beyond the initial protest in the national capital. He did not specify a timeline for the next steps but said the party would continue to raise the statehood demand through appropriate forums, both inside and outside the legislature.
The Jantar Mantar protest had drawn National Conference legislators and workers from across Jammu and Kashmir, marking one of the party’s most visible shows of strength in Delhi since it returned to power in the Union Territory. Political observers noted that the demonstration was aimed at keeping the statehood issue in national focus ahead of key legislative sessions, even as the party navigates its working relationship with the Centre on matters of day-to-day governance.
Omar’s remarks come amid continuing speculation over the timeline for statehood restoration, a promise that has been reiterated at various points by central leaders without a firm date being announced. The Chief Minister’s comments on Tuesday suggested that the National Conference intends to keep sustained pressure on the issue rather than treating the Delhi protest as an isolated event.
