BJP slams NC's J&K statehood protest as bid to hide failures
Synopsis
Farooq Abdullah is mobilising cross-party support for a high-stakes statehood protest timed to Parliament's Monsoon Session — and the BJP's furious pushback, branding it a 'Gupkar gang' distraction, reveals just how politically charged the J&K statehood question remains five years after Article 370's abrogation.
Key Takeaways
Farooq Abdullah wrote to INDIA bloc leaders and other parties on 10 July seeking support for a J&K statehood restoration protest.
The National Conference has planned a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on 20 July , coinciding with the Monsoon Session of Parliament .
BJP MP Tarun Chugh called the protest an attempt to 'hide incompetence, failures, and inexperience' and cover up unfulfilled manifesto promises.
BJP spokesperson R.P.
Singh said the current situation in J&K is 'not conducive' to granting statehood but reaffirmed the government's commitment to restore it at the 'right time.' Congress MP Jebi Mather backed the NC's outreach, calling it a legitimate democratic process.
J&K was reorganised into two Union Territories in 2019 after the Centre abrogated Article 370 .
National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah on Friday, 10 July wrote to leaders of the INDIA bloc and other political parties, seeking support for a planned protest on 20 July in New Delhi demanding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swiftly dismissed the move as an attempt to distract from the National Conference's own governance failures and unfulfilled election promises.
BJP's Sharp Rebuttal
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh did not mince words, saying, 'This is nothing but an attempt to divert attention and hide their incompetence, failures, and inexperience. It is also an effort to cover up the unfulfilled promises made in their manifesto. The Gupkar gang is trying to revive a stale agenda. Abdullah Sahib should take out his manifesto and see for himself, not even a single promise has been fulfilled.'
BJP national spokesperson R.P. Singh took a more measured line, acknowledging the NC's democratic right to protest while arguing that current ground conditions in J&K do not yet warrant a statehood restoration. 'When the right time comes, statehood will be restored,' he said.
Alliance Partners Weigh In
JD(U) National Spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad acknowledged the statehood demand as democratic but pointed to what he described as significant progress in the Union Territories in recent years. JD(U) Chief Spokesperson Neeraj Kumar linked that progress directly to the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, saying J&K had entered 'a new phase, with new avenues of development being established.' He added that the fight against terrorism remained ongoing, with soldiers continuing to 'make the supreme sacrifice.'
Opposition Backs NC's Outreach
Congress MP Jebi Mather backed the National Conference's campaign, saying the party had every right to seek solidarity from like-minded political formations. 'This is a process of making their voice and demand heard, and strengthening their cause,' she said, adding that seeking multi-party support was a legitimate and necessary step for any serious political movement.
The Protest Plan and Its Context
The National Conference has announced a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on 20 July, timed to coincide with the opening of the Monsoon Session of Parliament — a deliberate choice to maximise political visibility. Ahead of the Delhi protest, the party is scheduled to hold public gatherings in Srinagar on 11 July and 13 July to build grassroots momentum.
The push comes days after J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah intensified his own demand for statehood restoration and constitutional guarantees for the region. J&K was bifurcated into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh — in 2019 when the Centre revoked the special status conferred under Article 370 of the Constitution. Since then, successive NC leaders have consistently sought a return to full statehood, framing it as a matter of democratic rights and constitutional dignity.
With the Monsoon Session approaching and cross-party letters already dispatched — including to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq — the NC's campaign is set to become one of the more pointed political flashpoints of the parliamentary calendar.
Point of View
But it points to a real political tension: the NC governs J&K yet cannot deliver the one thing its voters most visibly associate with its mandate — statehood. Timing the protest to the Monsoon Session is tactically astute, but it also risks reinforcing the BJP's narrative that the NC prefers Delhi street theatre to Srinagar governance. The Centre's 'right time' formulation, meanwhile, has now been in circulation since 2019 without a timeline, which is itself a political vulnerability that the NC's campaign is designed to expose.
NationPress
10 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the National Conference's statehood protest about?
The National Conference is demanding the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, which was downgraded to a Union Territory in 2019 when the Centre abrogated Article 370. The party has planned a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on 20 July, timed to coincide with the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Why has the BJP criticised the NC's statehood protest?
The BJP has called the protest an attempt to divert attention from the National Conference's governance failures and unfulfilled election promises. BJP MP Tarun Chugh specifically accused the NC of trying to 'hide incompetence and inexperience' through what he described as a 'stale agenda.'
What is the BJP's position on restoring J&K statehood?
The BJP has not opposed statehood restoration in principle. Spokesperson R.P. Singh said it is the NC's democratic right to protest, but argued that current conditions in J&K are 'not conducive' to granting statehood, adding that the government will restore it 'when the right time comes.'
Who has supported the National Conference's statehood campaign?
Congress MP Jebi Mather has backed the NC's outreach, calling it a legitimate democratic process. Farooq Abdullah has written to INDIA bloc leaders, non-BJP national parties, and local leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, seeking solidarity for the campaign.
When was J&K's statehood removed and what changed?
Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into two Union Territories — J&K and Ladakh — in August 2019 after Parliament abrogated Article 370, which had granted the region special constitutional status. The NC and several opposition parties have since consistently demanded a return to full statehood.
