Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday declared that the National Conference (NC) will not abandon its campaign for statehood restoration under pressure to appease the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), asserting that the recent Delhi protest was merely the opening move in a sustained political struggle.

Key Developments

Speaking at a press conference in Srinagar, Abdullah said the Delhi demonstration was designed to remind the Centre of the commitments made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He stressed that the NC had invited all political parties to join, framing statehood as a collective cause rather than a partisan one.

'The objective behind the Delhi protest was to remind the Centre of the commitments made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We invited all political parties because this is not the issue of the NC alone; it is the issue of the entire Jammu and Kashmir,' he said.

On Article 370 and Constitutional Status

Responding to criticism that the NC had gone quiet on Article 370 and special status, Abdullah pushed back sharply. He argued that statehood is the prerequisite for any meaningful constitutional arrangement, including Article 370 or Article 371.

'People ask why we are not talking about Article 370 or special status. Tell me, when did we ever abandon that agenda? When others discarded their own agenda to shake hands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, we stood firmly by ours,' he said.

He contended that the real issue is the constitutional sharing of powers between Jammu and Kashmir and the Centre, and that such power-sharing becomes meaningful only after statehood is restored.

Assembly Resolution and Alleged Misrepresentation

Abdullah alleged that the J&K Assembly resolution seeking restoration of autonomy was deliberately misrepresented as an attempt to separate the region from India or merge it with Pakistan. 'These allegations were made only to discredit our political struggle. We completely reject such propaganda,' he said.

He further alleged that the Centre, unhappy with the Assembly resolution, subsequently encouraged the formation of new political groupings to fragment and weaken the collective voice of Jammu and Kashmir — a pattern he said continues today.

Criticism of Regional Parties

Abdullah did not spare rival regional parties, accusing them of sitting out the protest while mocking the NC's initiative. 'Some parties neither joined us nor made any effort of their own. Instead, they ridiculed our campaign,' he said.

He drew a pointed contrast between parties willing to protest on the ground and those who, in his words, preferred to remain 'behind a mobile phone' to avoid upsetting the BJP.

BJP's Counter and What Comes Next

In Jammu, senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the J&K Assembly Sunil Sharma dismissed Abdullah's campaign, arguing that at a time when people are losing lives and livelihoods to a natural calamity, the Chief Minister is seeking political mileage through statehood slogans. 'He should abandon political activity and address the problems of the sufferers due to the present natural calamity,' Sharma said.

Abdullah announced that the next phase of the campaign will be decided at the organisational level under the leadership of Farooq Abdullah. 'Delhi protest was just the beginning and not the end. This struggle will continue, and there will be no slackening from our side,' he said.