SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday announced that his party would intensify its campaign for the restoration of statehood, saying the movement launched in Delhi was “only the beginning” and would continue through protests and public outreach until the Centre fulfils its repeated promise to restore the Union Territory’s statehood.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar a day after the NC’s protest in Delhi, Abdullah clarified that the interaction was not a government press conference but a political one organised by the National Conference. He said the party had gone to Delhi to remind the Union government of assurances made in Parliament, before the Supreme Court and to the people of Jammu and Kashmir that statehood would be restored after the Assembly elections.
He said NC leaders and workers were prevented from reaching Jantar Mantar after being stopped at the final police barricade, forcing them to stage a sit-in protest.
“The remaining promise after the elections was statehood. We went to remind the Centre of that promise,” he said.
Calling the Delhi demonstration the first phase of a larger political movement, Abdullah said the NC would now decide its future programmes under the leadership of party president Farooq Abdullah.
“This is the beginning, not the end. The movement will continue,” he said, adding that protests would continue in Delhi as well as across Jammu and Kashmir.
Launching a sharp attack on opposition parties that stayed away from the protest, Abdullah said the demand for statehood belonged to all people of Jammu and Kashmir and should not have been reduced to party politics.
“We invited every political party because this is not the issue of one party or one government. It concerns the entire people of Jammu and Kashmir. Instead of joining us, some tried to ridicule and weaken our efforts,” he said.
Without naming the People’s Democratic Party, Abdullah also criticised parties that had allied with the BJP in the past, saying those questioning the NC’s commitment to Article 370 had themselves abandoned their agenda to form a government with the BJP, while the National Conference had remained consistent on the issue.
He further accused some political rivals of choosing “social media politics” instead of joining the campaign on the ground, saying the people of Jammu and Kashmir had now seen who was willing to fight for their rights and dignity.
Rejecting criticism that the party should have focused on restoring Article 370 rather than statehood, Abdullah said statehood was the essential first step.
“What is the meaning of Article 370 without a state?” he asked, arguing that any meaningful constitutional arrangement depended on the existence of an elected state government with legislative powers.
He said the elected Assembly had already passed a resolution seeking constitutional guarantees for Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, but meaningful discussions on that resolution could only take place after statehood was restored.
Calling Farooq Abdullah the “biggest symbol” of the Delhi protest, Omar Abdullah said the 87-year-old NC president’s participation in the march with a walking stick reflected the party’s commitment to the cause. He also thanked hundreds of party workers who travelled to Delhi at their own expense without any financial assistance from the party.
On support from other political parties, Abdullah said Congress leaders remained with the NC throughout the protest, while leaders from the CPI and CPI(M) also joined. He added that several opposition leaders, including those from the NCP, Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party, could not reach the venue because of restrictions and road closures in the national capital.
Questioning the Centre’s repeated assertion that statehood would be restored at an “appropriate time”, Abdullah referred to a recent High Court observation that the security situation in Srinagar had improved.
“If the situation has improved enough for the courts to acknowledge it, why is statehood still being delayed? And if the situation is bad, responsibility for law and order lies with the Centre, not with the elected government,” he said.
Responding to criticism over severe waterlogging in Srinagar following recent heavy rainfall, Abdullah said the government had already decided to order a third-party audit of the Smart City project to assess whether it had delivered on its objectives.
He acknowledged that even the Civil Secretariat had been inundated and admitted that years of neglect could not be corrected overnight. He said the government would assess losses suffered by shopkeepers and residents before providing relief under existing guidelines.
Abdullah also rejected suggestions that combining the demand for Article 370 with the statehood campaign would have united regional parties.
He said such a move would only provide the BJP-led government with an excuse to indefinitely delay statehood.
“I will not deceive the people by claiming this government will restore Article 370. Statehood is the practical and immediate demand because without it there can be no meaningful discussion on special status,” he said.
Asked whether the Delhi protest should have been postponed because of simultaneous demonstrations in the capital, Abdullah said there was never a perfect time for such an agitation.
He said the National Conference had announced its protest well in advance and cancelling it would have been portrayed as political retreat.
“Our objective was to make our voice heard and ensure that Jammu and Kashmir’s demand for statehood was noticed,” he said.
On BJP leader Sunil Sharma’s remarks that security agencies would decide when statehood could be restored, Abdullah said such a position contradicted the assurances given by the Union government before the Supreme Court.
“If agencies are to determine our political future, then the Centre should place that position before the Supreme Court,” he said.
Responding to questions about his recent article clarifying remarks on US President Donald Trump, Abdullah said he had not withdrawn any statement but had merely corrected what he described as a misinterpretation of his earlier speech.
He said he had never sought international intervention in Jammu and Kashmir and that his reference to Washington was a sarcastic response to critics who questioned the Delhi protest.
Asked why the National Conference had shifted from waiting for the Centre to restore statehood to launching public protests, Abdullah said the change was forced by the government’s failure to honour its commitment.
He noted that nearly two years had passed since the Supreme Court directed that statehood be restored “at the earliest”, making it necessary for the party to launch a political movement.
On the recent rain-related deaths in Rajouri and Poonch, Abdullah said he had directed officials to identify vulnerable areas near rivers, streams and landslide-prone zones and relocate families facing immediate danger. He said two ministers had been deputed to the affected districts to supervise relief, damage assessment and rehabilitation efforts.
