SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday intensified his attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing the Centre of repeatedly delaying the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood despite its promises and announcing that the National Conference will launch a mass agitation in Delhi from July 20 to press its demand.
Addressing a massive National Conference workers’ convention in Jammu, a day after a similar gathering in Srinagar, Abdullah said the party had exercised patience for more than two years but would now take the fight to the national capital.
“Twenty-four hours ago thousands of our workers gathered in Srinagar. Today, thousands have assembled in Jammu to send a clear message to the Centre that there will be no more waiting. Our patience has been mistaken for weakness and our silence has been misinterpreted. If dialogue has failed, we will now take to the streets to secure what has been promised to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The Chief Minister questioned the Centre’s repeated assurance that statehood would be restored “at an appropriate time,” asking what more remained to be done after delimitation and Assembly elections had already been completed.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly said that Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood will be restored at the appropriate time. What is that appropriate time? Delimitation has been completed, elections have been held and an elected government is in place. What more is the Centre waiting for?” Abdullah asked.
Calling statehood a constitutional commitment rather than a political concession, Abdullah said restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s status was “not a favour” but a promise made by the Government of India to every political party and every voter who participated in the Assembly elections.
“This promise was not made only to the National Conference. Every party that contested the elections fought on the assurance that statehood would be restored,” he said.
Abdullah also reminded the gathering of Prime Minister Modi’s recent speech at Katra, where the Prime Minister had described the restoration of statehood as “Modi’s promise.”
“If it is Modi’s promise, then it must carry weight. There has to be action. Why are BJP leaders in Jammu and Kashmir trying to prove their own Prime Minister wrong by delaying its implementation?” he asked.
The Chief Minister alleged that the BJP was attempting to weaken elected governments in states where it failed to secure a majority, describing it as a “backdoor party.”
“Where the BJP cannot enter through the front door, it tries to come through the back door by engineering defections and breaking parties,” he said, referring to political developments in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Punjab.
His remarks also came amid allegations by the National Conference that one of its MLAs was offered Rs 20-30 crore and a ministerial berth to switch sides—claims rejected by the BJP.
Abdullah further claimed that the Centre had assured the Supreme Court that statehood would follow delimitation and elections.
“Delimitation has been completed, elections have been held and the Supreme Court said statehood should be restored ‘as soon as possible’. More than two years have passed. How much longer will the people of Jammu and Kashmir be made to wait?” he asked.
He questioned why the people of Jammu were being “punished” despite their contribution to the nation, recalling the sacrifices made by border residents during wars and cross-border shelling and the support extended by Jammu to displaced communities over the years.
“What is the fault of the people of Jammu? They have always stood with the nation during every crisis. They have suffered shelling, sheltered displaced families and contributed immensely to the country’s unity. Why are they being denied statehood?” he said.
The Chief Minister also accused sections of the media and the BJP of trying to divert attention from the statehood campaign by creating unnecessary controversies around the National Conference’s outreach programmes.
Announcing the next phase of the agitation, Abdullah said the National Conference would stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20, coinciding with the start of Parliament’s Monsoon Session.
“They said statehood would not come through the Assembly. Then they said it would not come by raising our voice in Jammu and Kashmir. Now we are going to Jantar Mantar. If they still say it cannot be achieved there, then they should tell the people where they should go to seek what was promised to them,” he said.
He said the protest would seek to remind the Centre of its commitment.
“We will go to the capital of our own country and tell the Prime Minister: This is Modi’s promise. Please fulfil your promise and restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood without further delay,” Abdullah said.
Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. While upholding the Centre’s decision in December 2023, the Supreme Court recorded the Union government’s assurance that statehood would be restored at an appropriate time. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also maintained that statehood would be reinstated after normalcy is fully restored.
