Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Reaffirms July 19 Protest in Delhi Despite Personal Loss and Lack of Permission

Srinagar, July 17: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday confirmed that the National Conference (NC) will proceed with its planned protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 19, despite the recent death of his uncle, Dr. Mustafa Kamal, and the non-confirmation of permission from Delhi Police.

“There will be no change in our protest. Dr. Mustafa Kamal also wanted our snatched rights to be restored. We will definitely go to Delhi on the 19th July. If we don’t get permission for Jantar Mantar, we will deliberate on the next course of action. But we are going to Delhi on 19th July,” Abdullah stated.

The protest is scheduled to take place on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament. The NC has invited all regional and national parties to support and join the demonstration, but no regional party has yet confirmed its participation.

The Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, led by Altaf Bukhari, has declined to join. Bukhari argued that the demand for restoration of statehood should be pursued through dialogue with the Centre, not confrontation. “Statehood alone will not fill people’s stomachs. They need employment opportunities. This insensitive government pays no heed to these pressing issues,” he said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party (AAP) has stated that its chief, Engineer Rashid, who is currently in Tihar Jail, will decide on participation. The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has not yet made a decision.

The NC is seeking the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, which was revoked in August 2019 when the region was reorganised into two union territories. The party has been demanding a return to the pre-2019 status, along with constitutional guarantees.