Srinagar: Upping the ante, the ruling National Conference (NC) on Wednesday announced that its legislature party will launch a protest in New Delhi on the first day of the forthcoming Monsoon session of Parliament to press for the immediate restoration of statehood and constitutional guarantees for Jammu and Kashmir.
The announcement was made by the party’s chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq following a marathon meeting of NC lawmakers and allies, including CPI (M) and independent legislators, presided by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
“The National Conference has decided that on the first day of the Monsoon session, our Legislative Party, including MPs, MLAs, and allies, will go to Delhi to protest. Our primary demand will be the return of our statehood and constitutional guarantees,” Sadiq told reporters.
“It is time for our leadership to go to Delhi, talk to the people there, and take back what has been taken away from us.”
The announcement comes amid pressure on the NC over the issue of restoration of statehood and special status, after the Centre’s offer to agitating groups in Ladakh, who are also seeking statehood for the Union Territory, for safeguarding the region’s special identity and constitutional rights.
Sadiq described the atmosphere of the meeting as highly positive, stating that the chief minister patiently heard threadbare discussions on critical issues facing the region, including development, drug abuse, alcohol ban and the local economy.
“There was a review of the progress made by this government. But, the most important thing was the discussion about special status (of J&K that was revoked by the Centre in 2019),” he said.
The high-stakes meeting, which discussed governance progress, public welfare, and regional development across Jammu, Kashmir, Pir Panjal and Chenab, was marked by a surprise change of scenery.
While the chief minister had originally invited legislators to his official residence, the MLAs were immediately boarded onto mini-buses and driven away from the media glare for an off-site at the Dachigam National Park.
The meeting came in the backdrop of claims by the Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma that the National Conference government can fall anytime and that several ruling party MLAs were on the verge of jumping ship.
“Their MLAs are unhappy and are fighting with ministers every day. The ship can sink anytime,” he said.
Sharing pictures of the MLAs on a bus ride on the social media platform X, Abdullah, however, sought to downplay any speculation of secrecy or panic.
“We are off for an off-site to spend the day taking stock of the last 19 months — the good, the not so good and everything in between,” Abdullah posted.
He later said that the move was entirely intentional. “I’m sorry to disappoint you but it has NOT ‘been shifted at the last moment’. It was always my intention to conduct this meeting off-site and all arrangements have been made, days in advance…”
The meeting was seen as a display of unity with MLAs, MPs of both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha as well as CPM leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami and the four independent legislators present.
The NC’s Lok Sabha MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, who has been critical of the party on the issue of restoration of special status, was not invited for the meeting.
To a question about claims made by Sharma, Sadiq was emphatic in his reply: “We told you about our meeting and our decision. We are with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and our decision is in the interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
When questioned by reporters about a potential expansion of the state cabinet, Sadiq remained guarded. “That is the prerogative of the chief minister. He will do it when he thinks it is right,” he said.
