SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s ruling National Conference has invited 52 political leaders of the country within and outside INDIA Bloc including J&K’s Grand Mufti and Hurriyat Conference chairman and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to join the protest at Jantar Mantar for statehood restoration to J&K on the opening day of Parliament's Monsoon session.
NC president Farooq Abdullah has reached out to political parties across J&K and leaders from across the country, inviting them to join the peaceful, democratic protest at Jantar Mantar on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
“This is not about one party, one region, or one people. It is about defending India’s federal spirit, upholding the Constitution, and demanding the long-overdue restoration of J&K’s statehood as repeatedly promised,” he said. “We hope every democratic voice across the country will stand united in this collective cause”.
Among the 52 prominent political leaders invited for the statehood restoration protest include Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, Asaduddin Owaisi, Y S Jagam Mohan Reddy, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Arvind Kejriwal, M A Baby CPI(M) General Secretary, D Raja of CPI, Kapil Sibal, BSP chief Mayawati, BRS President K. Chandrashekar Rao, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, former J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, J&K Apni Party Chief Altaf Bukhari, J&K Congress chief G A Mir, J&K BJP president Satpal Sharma, Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone, Hurriyat Conference chairman and cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and J&K Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam.
In his letter, NC president said the central government had repeatedly assured in parliament that statehood would be restored after abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile State into two Union Territories by centre on August 5, 2019.
He said despite successful conduct of Assembly elections in 2024 and formation of an elected government under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the promise of restoring statehood remains unfulfilled.
"This is not merely a delay. It is an affront to the democratic will of an entire people," he said, adding that the continued denial of statehood undermines the federal character of the Constitution and weakens democratic institutions.
“Our protest shall be peaceful, democratic, and constitutional — as it must be, and as it shall be. We are not asking for anything beyond what was promised. Our demands shall not transgress from those which have already promised to us. The cause of federalism is not the cause of one party, one people or one region. It is the cause of every citizen of India who believes that the genius of our constitutional order lies in the balance it strikes between unity and diversity,” Abdullah said.
He said the stand for restoration of statehood to J&K is to stand for the integrity of that balance --- for the proposition that no people should be governed without their consent, and no promise made in parliament should be allowed to lapse into convenient oblivion.
“People of J&K have chosen hope — we have chosen the ballot, the Constitution, and the democratic process that all of us in some way or another have been a part of. We deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect,” the NC president said.
“Together, let us send an unambiguous message that the people of J&K remain the guardians of the voice of those who have been made to wait too long,” he added.
It would be interesting to see how many of the 52 leaders attend the NC leader’s protest for statehood restoration on July 20 at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on the opening day of parliament’s monsoon session.
After forming the government, CM Omar in his first cabinet meeting passed a resolution on restoration of statehood and handed copies of the resolution to PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other central leaders but there has been no forward movement on the issue in over one and half year’s rule of NC government.