Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, June 5

National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah said on Friday that his party would participate in the upcoming meeting of the INDIA opposition alliance in New Delhi and reiterated that the demand for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status would remain central to the party’s political agenda.

Speaking to reporters after offering prayers at Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar, Abdullah said either he or Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would represent the party at the INDIA bloc meeting scheduled for June 8.

“The meeting is going to take place. Omar or I, one of us will go. We are part of that alliance, and we will be there,” Abdullah said.

His comments come amid renewed political activity among opposition parties ahead of the meeting, which is expected to focus on a range of national political issues and coordination among alliance partners.

The NC has remained a constituent of the INDIA bloc since the formation of the opposition grouping and has consistently advocated restoration of statehood and constitutional protections that were removed following the Centre’s August 2019 decision to revoke Article 370 and reorganise the former state into two federally administered territories.

Responding to remarks by Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, who recently said Article 370 had been permanently consigned to history, Abdullah said the issue remained politically and emotionally significant for many people in the region.

“The day all of us get buried in Kashmir, it will also be buried that day,” he said.

The veteran politician’s remarks underline the NC’s continued emphasis on the constitutional and political changes introduced in 2019, which remain among the most contested issues in Jammu and Kashmir’s political discourse.

Since the restoration of an elected government in J&K, the NC leadership has repeatedly stated that restoration of statehood remains one of its foremost priorities.

The party has also maintained that it would continue pursuing constitutional and legal avenues regarding Article 370 and related provisions.

Abdullah’s statement comes days after the NC announced plans for a protest in New Delhi to press for restoration of statehood and special constitutional guarantees.

The party argues that restoration of statehood is necessary for strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring greater administrative accountability in J&K.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, has maintained that the abrogation of Article 370 was a historic step that fully integrated J&K with the rest of the country and accelerated development and governance reforms.

Political debate surrounding the constitutional changes continues to shape discourse in the region, even as the administration focuses on development, infrastructure and investment initiatives.

Friday’s comments from Abdullah indicate that the issue is likely to remain a key political talking point for the National Conference both within J&K and at national opposition forums.

The INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi will be among the first major opposition gatherings to be attended by NC leaders since the formation of the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir last year.