SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Monday sought the support of INDIA Bloc constituents for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, urging opposition parties to join the National Conference’s planned protest in New Delhi during the forthcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Addressing leaders at the INDIA Bloc meeting in the national capital, Omar Abdullah informed participants about the National Conference’s decision to launch a protest campaign in support of statehood restoration and invited alliance partners to become part of the initiative.
According to party sources, Omar told the gathering that Jammu and Kashmir’s demand for the restoration of statehood transcends party lines and represents a broader democratic aspiration of the people of the Union Territory.
He urged leaders of constituent parties of the INDIA alliance to stand in solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir when the National Conference stages its protest in Delhi.
Omar Abdullah also informed the meeting that the National Conference would formally reach out to individual opposition leaders and parties seeking their participation and support for the campaign.
The development comes days after the National Conference announced plans to hold a protest in New Delhi on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament to press for the restoration of statehood and constitutional guarantees for Jammu and Kashmir.
The statehood issue has emerged as a central political plank for the ruling National Conference, which has repeatedly maintained that the restoration of full statehood remains essential for fulfilling commitments made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The INDIA Bloc meeting was attended by senior opposition leaders from across the country and focused on a range of political and parliamentary issues ahead of the upcoming session of Parliament. [KNT]
