National Conference Plans New Delhi Protest for J&K Statehood

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference are organizing a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20 to pressure the central government to restore full statehood to the Union Territory. The planned demonstration coincides with the opening day of Parliament's Monsoon Session. Abdullah stated the party is still seeking official permission for the event, alleging that some parties are attempting to sabotage the program by aligning their own dates with the protest.

The National Conference invited 52 political and religious leaders to join the campaign, receiving support from the Indian National Congress. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq urged the party to expand its demands beyond statehood to include the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, citing the mandate given to the government by the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Sunil Sharma, the Leader of the Opposition and a senior BJP leader, announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party will boycott the protest, dismissing it as an eye-wash and theatrics designed to mask governance failures. Sharma argued that statehood must be achieved through Parliament rather than street demonstrations. Simultaneously, Sharma announced a BJP-led mass campaign against the government's job outsourcing policy, which he characterized as an appointment scam. This agitation is set to begin with a gherao of the Civil Secretariat in Kashmir before expanding regionally.