Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday, 20 July hopped into an auto-rickshaw at Jantar Mantar to reach Prithviraj Road — the last-minute substitute venue for the National Conference (NC) statehood restoration protest in New Delhi. The impromptu ride, shared by Abdullah himself on X, became the defining image of a day when J&K's ruling party took its demand for full statehood to the national capital on the opening day of Parliament's Monsoon session.

The Auto-Rickshaw Moment

Abdullah was accompanied in the auto-rickshaw by his two sons, Zahir Abdullah and Zamir Abdullah, the three of them carrying a placard as they navigated Delhi traffic. Explaining the move on X, Abdullah wrote: 'My walk from Jantar Mantar was about to turn into another procession so we grabbed the first available means of transport.' He also posted a video of the ride, which drew wide attention online.

The venue shift had been forced by administrative delays — the Delhi administration had not communicated permission for the originally planned gathering at Jantar Mantar until the morning of the protest, according to NC leaders.

What the NC Is Demanding

The protest, led by NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah, centred on a single demand: the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, which was bifurcated into two Union Territories in August 2019. Demonstrators gathered at the Jammu and Kashmir House, carrying placards reading 'Apna wada pura karo (Fulfil your promise)', 'Restore rights and dignity of people of J&K', and 'Restore full statehood'. Slogans including 'Modi ka wada, kyun raha aadha? (Why has Modi's promise remained unfulfilled?)' echoed through the gathering.

Omar Abdullah was also seen walking towards the Constitution Club, where a parallel seminar on statehood restoration was being held.

What Farooq Abdullah Said

'We are fighting for full statehood, which was promised by the prime minister and the home minister in Parliament, as well as in the Supreme Court, and also to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,' Farooq Abdullah told reporters. He added: 'I hope the government will respect the wishes of the people of this country. I hope they will work for the good of this country and that the problems of Ladakh will also be solved and the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir will be restored.'

The NC has consistently argued that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah made explicit commitments in Parliament and before the Supreme Court to restore J&K's statehood once conditions normalised — a pledge the party says remains unmet despite J&K holding Assembly elections and forming a government.

Congress Joins the Protest

J&K Congress leaders also participated in Monday's demonstration, broadening the political front pressing the Centre on the statehood question. Among those present were state unit president Tariq Hamid Karra and All India Congress Committee (AICC) member Ghulam Ahmad Mir. Their participation signals a rare moment of opposition alignment on a J&K-specific issue, even as the two parties remain rivals in the region.

Jantar Mantar and the Broader Protest Landscape

While the NC's event shifted venue, Jantar Mantar itself was not quiet. The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) held a separate protest, with demonstrators marching toward Parliament from the Sansad Marg side. Security forces stopped them at Raisina Road, barely 200 metres from Parliament, and used batons to control the crowd. The CJP separately confirmed that the government had reached out for talks, with two of its spokespersons meeting Union Minister J. P. Nadda to present their demands.

With Parliament's Monsoon session now under way, the statehood question is expected to resurface inside the House — and the NC's street-level pressure appears calibrated to keep it there.