Srinagar, Jul 21 (KNO): National Conference (NC) Vice-President and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the party’s Delhi protest for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood is just the beginning of a sustained political campaign.
The NC, he asserted, would continue reminding the centre of its promises until statehood is restored, adding that statehood is the constitutional foundation for reclaiming the region’s special status.
Addressing a press conference here a day after the NC-led protest in New Delhi, the CM, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said the party would not dilute its political agenda to appease the BJP and would continue its struggle under the leadership of NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah.
“Yesterday’s protest was just the beginning, not the end. The next phase of the movement will be decided by the organisation, but there will be no let-up in our struggle. We will continue reminding the Centre of the promises it made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Rejecting criticism that the NC had abandoned its stand on Article 370, Omar said the party had remained committed to its agenda while others had compromised theirs. “When did we abandon our agenda? When others left their own agenda and joined hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, we stood firmly by ours,” he said.
Describing statehood as the first constitutional step, Abdullah said the restoration of Article 370 or any future special constitutional arrangement would have little meaning without a state. “What is the meaning of Article 370 or Article 371 without a state? Special status is about constitutional power-sharing between the Centre and a state. Without statehood there is no State List and no meaningful power-sharing,” he said.
He said the Assembly had already passed a resolution seeking restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s "special status" with constitutional guarantees and insisted the party had not moved away from that commitment.
Omar said the Delhi agitation was deliberately kept focused on statehood, saying combining it with the demand for Article 370 would only provide the Centre with an excuse to delay restoration of statehood. “We know this government will not restore Article 370. Statehood is the foundation. Once that promise is fulfilled, we will continue our constitutional and political struggle,” he said.
Recalling the Assembly’s autonomy resolution, the CM alleged it had been deliberately misrepresented to weaken Jammu and Kashmir’s political aspirations and said similar attempts to divide the region’s political voice were continuing.
He said restoration of statehood is an issue concerning the entire Jammu and Kashmir and not the National Conference alone.
“We invited every political party to join us because this is the issue of all the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Unfortunately, some parties neither joined us nor launched any campaign of their own. Instead, they ridiculed our efforts,” he said.
Abdullah said Congress leaders also stood with the NC throughout the protest, while CPI and CPI(M) also extended support. He said leaders of some other opposition parties could not reach the venue because of restrictions in Delhi and the party would engage with them separately.
On opposition unity, he said, “You can take a horse to water, but you cannot force it to drink.”
Omar said those unwilling to confront the BJP preferred social media over public mobilisation. “Those who did not want to upset the BJP stayed indoors, posting tweets and using social media. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have now seen who is prepared to fight on the ground and who prefers to remain behind a mobile phone,” he said.
Defending the scale of the protest, he said every participant travelled voluntarily without financial support from the party. “Not a single worker was sponsored by the party. We did not pay for flights, trains or vehicles. Everyone travelled at their own expense because they believed in this cause. Nobody was forced or brought there by us,” he said.
The 90-year-old leader, Dr Farooq Abdullah, leading the march in Delhi, symbolised the party’s commitment to the cause, he added.
Referring to the Centre’s assurances, the Chief Minister said the BJP-led government had promised the Supreme Court that Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood would be restored “at the earliest” and the NC would continue reminding it of that commitment.
Questioning the security argument against statehood, he said if courts acknowledged improvement in the situation, the Centre could not continue using security as a reason to delay restoration.
“If the situation has improved enough for the High Court to say there is no terrorism in Srinagar, why is the Centre still denying statehood on security grounds? And if security is the issue, law and order is not under our control, so who is responsible?” he asked.
Omar Abdullah also criticised suggestions that security agencies, rather than the elected political leadership, should decide the timing of statehood restoration, saying such a stand contradicted the assurance given by the Centre before the Supreme Court and undermined the political process—(KNO)