J&K Statehood: National Conference Plans Delhi Protest, Cites Supreme Court Directive
Srinagar, July 7 (2026): Ahead of a planned protest in New Delhi over the delay in restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, the ruling National Conference (NC) held a meeting with civil society members on Tuesday. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the meeting as "extremely productive" and said it passed a unanimous resolution calling on the Union government to fulfil its promise of restoring full statehood to the region without further delay.
The NC, led by party president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, has announced a protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on July 20, the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament. According to party leaders, the decision to protest stems from the Centre's failure to act on a Supreme Court judgment from December 2023, which directed the government to restore statehood "at the earliest."
"Statehood had to follow delimitation and assembly polls, which were held in 2024. It has not. We have decided to protest in Delhi," a senior NC leader told civil society members during the meeting. The leaders described the delay as "inordinate" and criticised the Centre's repeated use of the phrase "appropriate time" as a vague and timeless expression.
Jammu and Kashmir has been administered as a Union Territory since August 2019, when the central government abrogated the region's special status under Article 370 of the Constitution. Since then, regional parties have consistently demanded the restoration of statehood and special status. The 2023 Supreme Court ruling upheld the abrogation but directed that statehood be restored expeditiously, and that assembly elections be held. Elections were conducted in 2024, leading to the formation of an elected government, but the territory remains a Union Territory.
Tuesday's meeting also included representatives from the travel, tourism, and business sectors, who raised concerns about the impact of the current status on tourism promotion, business facilitation, and economic growth. A government spokesperson confirmed that these issues were discussed.
The NC's protest is expected to draw attention to the unresolved issue of statehood, which remains a key political demand in the region. The party has called on all stakeholders to support the demand, emphasising the need for constitutional guarantees and democratic governance.
