Jammu: The ruling National Conference on Monday staged protests across Jammu demanding restoration of statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, with party leaders and workers accusing the Centre of reneging on its commitment despite the formation of a popular government in 2024.
The party’s district unit organised the main demonstration in Jammu, while similar protests were held at district headquarters across the region.
Simultaneously, senior NC leaders and legislators joined the party’s protest under the leadership of party president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah in Delhi.
Hundreds of NC activists carrying party flags and placards assembled at party headquarters at Residency Road and took out a rally to City Chowk, chanting slogans in support of the demand for restoration of statehood to the J&K.
NC’s Jammu provincial secretary Sheikh Bashir said the protests were part of a coordinated campaign being carried out across Jammu and Kashmir to press for the restoration of statehood.
“Our demand is clear — restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. This is our rightful demand and our legitimate right,” he said, adding the party’s senior leadership and MLAs were participating in the protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
He said NC vice-president and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also left for Delhi to join the demonstration in the national capital.
Party’s provincial joint secretary Ankush Abrol said the NC’s top leadership was fully committed to the cause of statehood.
Referring to Omar Abdullah’s brief visit to Jammu earlier, he said the chief minister had to leave Delhi on Sunday due to the crisis-like situation following flash floods and landslides in Poonch-Rajouri belt, but he returned to the national capital on Monday morning to participate in the protest, adding that it reflected the seriousness with which the party viewed the issue.
Abrol alleged that Jammu and Kashmir had been deprived of both its special status and statehood following the constitutional changes of August 5, 2019, and criticised the present administrative arrangement in the Union Territory.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured Parliament and the people of J&K that statehood would be restored after the elections, but they failed to fulfill their promise.
“That is precisely why we are on the streets today,” he said.
The NC leaders urged the Centre to fulfil its commitment and restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir without further delay, asserting that the demand represented the aspirations and democratic rights of the people.
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.