Kashmir Impulse Desk

Jammu, July 12

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday intensified his campaign for the restoration of statehood to the federally administered territory, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of undermining Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public commitment on the issue while defending his party’s decision to launch a protest movement after what he described as months of unsuccessful engagement with New Delhi.

Addressing a National Conference (NC) rally in Jammu ahead of the party’s proposed July 20 demonstration at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, Abdullah said his government had exhausted constitutional and political avenues to press for the restoration of statehood and was now turning to public mobilisation.

“Our patience is being mistaken for weakness,” Abdullah told party workers and supporters. “We sought statehood through dialogue and democratic means, but after waiting for months without progress, we are compelled to take our demand to the streets.”

The rally marks a significant escalation in the National Conference’s campaign over statehood, an issue that has dominated political discourse in Jammu and Kashmir since the region lost its statehood following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

The Centre reorganised the former state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, placing both under direct federal administration.

Although the Centre has repeatedly stated that statehood would be restored at an appropriate time after the completion of the political process, no timeline has been announced.

Abdullah said the Prime Minister had publicly committed to restoring statehood and questioned why BJP leaders in Jammu and Kashmir were criticising the National Conference for demanding the implementation of that assurance.

“The Prime Minister himself described it as ‘Modi Ka Waada’ (Modi’s promise), not an ordinary commitment,” Abdullah said. “Why are BJP leaders trying to discredit their own Prime Minister’s promise?”

He argued that the National Conference was not seeking concessions but asking the Centre to honour what he described as a commitment already made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The chief minister also referred to proceedings before India’s Supreme Court, noting that the Union government had outlined a three-stage roadmap involving delimitation of constituencies, assembly elections and eventual restoration of statehood.

He said the first two stages had already been completed.

“If the constitutional and electoral processes have been completed, people naturally expect the next commitment to be fulfilled,” he said.

Abdullah accused the BJP of using the issue of statehood for political advantage and questioned whether its restoration was being linked to the party returning to power in Jammu and Kashmir.

“If statehood depends on one political party forming the government, then the people deserve to be told so openly,” he said.

He also questioned why residents of Jammu should continue to wait despite the BJP enjoying significant electoral support in the region.

The National Conference leader alleged that the elected government continued to face administrative constraints despite winning last year’s Assembly election.

“What was the purpose of holding elections if governance continues to remain outside the authority of the elected government?” he asked.

The July 20 demonstration in New Delhi, which the National Conference has described as a “Delhi Chalo” campaign, will be its first major political protest outside Jammu and Kashmir since returning to power.

Abdullah dismissed criticism from the BJP that protesting in the national capital would not secure statehood, responding with a touch of sarcasm.

“If we are told that protesting in Delhi will achieve nothing, then where are we expected to go?” he asked. “Should we protest outside the White House instead?”

The remarks drew laughter from supporters at the rally.

“Our demand is being made to our own country’s leadership,” he said. “There is no other place where we should be seeking redress.”

Abdullah also defended the National Conference’s decision to invite Hurriyat chairman and Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to participate in the proposed protest after the move drew criticism from BJP leaders.

Rejecting allegations that the invitation amounted to engaging with separatist politics, Abdullah pointed to repeated statements by senior BJP leaders that separatism had effectively ended in Kashmir.

“If the government says separatist ideology no longer exists in Jammu and Kashmir, then how can the person we invited still be described as a separatist?” he said.

“Both arguments cannot be true at the same time.”

He accused political opponents and sections of the media of creating unnecessary controversy to divert attention from the statehood issue.

Abdullah said the National Conference had invited around 50 individuals from different sections of society to participate in the protest but claimed public debate had focused almost exclusively on one invitation.

“The objective was to weaken our campaign for statehood,” he said.

The chief minister reiterated that restoring statehood was a collective demand rather than a personal political objective.

“This is not about any one individual or one party,” he said. “Every resident of Jammu and Kashmir is affected by the absence of statehood.”

The BJP has consistently maintained that statehood will be restored at an appropriate stage while emphasising that security, development and political stability remain the government’s priorities following the constitutional changes introduced in 2019.

The National Conference’s planned protest in New Delhi is expected to become the latest flashpoint in the continuing political debate over the constitutional future and governance structure of Jammu and Kashmir.