J&K Statehood Protest Heats Up: Congress to Join NC, BJP Plans Secretariat Gherao
The political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir is intensifying ahead of the National Conference's (NC) planned protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20, demanding the restoration of statehood. The Congress party has announced it will participate in the sit-in, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has scheduled a gherao of the secretariat in Srinagar on the same day to protest the NC government's alleged corruption and arbitrary governance.
Congress leader G.A. Mir stated that the protest would proceed even without official permission. “Delhi does not belong to anyone. We will enter from anywhere,” he said, emphasizing the need to make their voices heard. The protest is aimed at pressing the central government to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, which was revoked in August 2019 when the region was reorganized into a union territory.
In response, the BJP has called for a gherao of the civil secretariat in Srinagar to protest against the NC-led government's policies, which they claim undermine democratic institutions. The BJP has accused the state government of corruption and arbitrary governance, although specific details were not provided.
Meanwhile, Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone questioned the timing and motive behind the NC's protest. “Major political decisions in a democracy require consensus, not unilateral calls to the street,” he said. Lone suggested that the NC government should first convene a special assembly session to pass a resolution on statehood and then send an all-party delegation to the Prime Minister before resorting to protests. He alleged that the protest might be a veiled attempt to sideline demands for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir before their abrogation.
The development reflects the growing political tensions in the region, with parties taking divergent approaches to the statehood issue. The NC's protest is part of a broader push to restore the region's former status, while the BJP's counter-protest highlights the ongoing political divide.
