NC to attend INDIA Bloc meet in Delhi on June 8, says Farooq Abdullah
Synopsis
Farooq Abdullah confirmed the National Conference will attend the INDIA Bloc's June 8 Delhi meeting, while vowing to keep the Article 370 restoration demand alive 'till eternity' — a direct rebuttal to the BJP's claim that the issue is settled. With NC MLAs also set to protest in Delhi on the first day of Parliament's monsoon session, the party is mounting a coordinated political and legislative push on J&K statehood.
Key Takeaways
Farooq Abdullah confirmed on June 5 that the National Conference (NC) will attend the INDIA Bloc meeting in New Delhi on June 8 .
Either Farooq Abdullah or Omar Abdullah will represent the NC at the meeting.
Abdullah vowed to keep the Article 370 restoration demand alive 'till eternity,' directly countering BJP leader Sunil Sharma's claim that the issue is 'dead and buried.' Following a seven-hour MLA meeting , the NC announced its legislators will protest in Delhi on the first day of Parliament's monsoon session for statehood and constitutional guarantees .
The INDIA Bloc includes 35 parties and won 234 seats in the 2024 general elections ; both NC and PDP are members.
Farooq Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir and president of the ruling National Conference (NC), confirmed on Friday, June 5, that his party will participate in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) Bloc meeting scheduled in New Delhi on June 8. Speaking to reporters at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar after Friday prayers, Abdullah made clear the NC's continued commitment to the opposition coalition.
What Abdullah Said
'The meeting is going to take place. Omar or I, one of us will go. Obviously, we are part of that. We will be there,' Abdullah told reporters, referring to his son and current Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The statement leaves open which of the two senior NC leaders will represent the party at the Delhi gathering.
Article 370: NC Vows to Keep Issue Alive
Abdullah also responded sharply to remarks by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of Opposition in the J&K Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, who had declared that Article 370 is 'dead and buried.' Abdullah pushed back with force, asserting that the NC will keep the issue of J&K's special status alive 'till eternity.' 'The day all of us are buried in Kashmir, it will also be buried that day,' he said. The statement underscores the NC's position that the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 remains a live political and constitutional grievance.
NC's Parliament Strategy
The NC's participation in the INDIA Bloc meeting comes days after the party held a seven-hour meeting of its legislators on Wednesday, at the conclusion of which it announced that its MLAs will stage a protest in Delhi on the first day of Parliament's monsoon session. The protest will press for two demands: the restoration of statehood to J&K and the reinstatement of constitutional guarantees that were revoked alongside Article 370.
About the INDIA Bloc
The INDIA Bloc is a multi-party opposition alliance that contested the 2024 general elections against the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP. The alliance secured 234 seats in the election, a gain of more than 100 seats over its earlier strength, and performed strongly in states including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Punjab. Of the 35 parties within the bloc, both the NC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — led by former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti — are members.
The June 8 meeting is expected to set the opposition's legislative agenda ahead of the monsoon session, with J&K's statehood question likely to feature prominently on the bloc's agenda.
Point of View
But linking it to a coordinated bloc strategy gives it fresh legislative weight. What mainstream coverage underplays is the internal NC calculus: with both Farooq and Omar Abdullah available to attend the June 8 meeting, the party is signalling that J&K's constitutional status is now a top-tier national issue, not a regional grievance. The BJP's dismissal of Article 370 as 'dead and buried' may be constitutionally accurate post the Supreme Court's December 2023 verdict upholding abrogation, but politically it hands the NC a durable mobilisation issue heading into any future electoral contest in the Union Territory.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the National Conference attend the INDIA Bloc meeting on June 8?
Yes. Farooq Abdullah confirmed on June 5 that the National Conference will be represented at the INDIA Bloc meeting in New Delhi on June 8, with either himself or Chief Minister Omar Abdullah attending.
What is the National Conference's position on Article 370?
The NC maintains that the restoration of Article 370 and J&K's special status remains a live demand. Farooq Abdullah said the party will keep the issue alive 'till eternity,' directly rebutting BJP leader Sunil Sharma's claim that it is 'dead and buried.'
What is the NC planning for Parliament's monsoon session?
Following a seven-hour meeting of its MLAs, the NC announced that its legislators will stage a protest in Delhi on the first day of Parliament's monsoon session, pressing for the restoration of statehood and constitutional guarantees to Jammu & Kashmir.
What is the INDIA Bloc and how did it perform in 2024?
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA Bloc) is a multi-party opposition coalition that contested the 2024 general elections against the BJP-led NDA. It won 234 seats — a gain of over 100 seats — performing strongly in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Punjab.
Which J&K parties are part of the INDIA Bloc?
Both the National Conference (NC), led by Farooq Abdullah, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, are among the 35 parties in the INDIA Bloc.
