PDP, Sajad Lone's PC not to join Omar Abdullah's protest in Delhi for J&K statehood

As the ruling National Conference (NC) prepares to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20 seeking the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, only the Congress and CPI(M) have decided to join the demonstration.

The NC is yet to receive formal permission from the Delhi Police for the protest. However, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he and other party leaders would reach Delhi on Sunday and ensure that the protest is held on the first day of Parliament's Monsoon session on Monday, even if the venue or timing has to be changed.

The opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) and People's Conference (PC) have asked the NC to expand its agenda to include the restoration of Articles 370 and 35(A), as well as the release of political prisoners, if they are to participate in the protest.


PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, in a letter to NC president Farooq Abdullah, said demanding statehood alone and settling for anything short of the restoration of Article 370 would amount to a "shameful surrender" of the rights and dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

People's Conference chief Sajad Lone said the NC's protest appeared "less of a struggle and more of a ploy" to bury the demand for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35(A).

As the ruling National Conference plans to protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for restoration of statehood on July 20, only Congress and CPI(M) from Jammu and Kashmir have decided to join them.

The NC has not yet received formal permission from the Delhi police for the Jantar Mantar protest on Monday. However, J&K CM Omar Abdullah said that he along with his party members would reach Delhi on Sunday and ensure that the protest is held on the first day of the monsoon session of the parliament on Monday, even if they had to change the venue or time.

The opposition People’s Democratic Party and People’s Conference have asked the NC to include Article 370 and 35(A) and the release of political prisoners in their agenda for their participation.

The PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti wrote to the NC president Farooq Abdullah stating that demanding statehood alone and anything short of Article 370 would amount to shameful surrender of the rights and dignity of the people of J&K. She has urged the NC to include the release of political prisoners and the revocation of the ban on organizations like Jama’at e Islami in its agenda.

The People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone said that the NC protest seems less of a struggle and more of a ploy to bury the discourse of restoration of Article 370 and 35(A). “The NC buried the PM’s chair in 1975, they rushed to Delhi in 2019 when special status of J&K was revoked and now in 2026 they are again going to New Delhi with a statehood agenda only to bury Article 370 and 35(A),” said Lone.

The BJP has termed the protest as an “eye wash and theatrics” and has announced a massive protest outside the civil secretariat in the summer capital of Srinagar on the same day against the alleged failures of the NC government.