Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
In a major political development in Jammu and Kashmir, the ruling National Conference (NC) has decided to intensify its campaign for the restoration of statehood by taking the issue to the national capital. The party has announced plans to stage a protest in New Delhi on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, marking its most assertive move yet on a demand that has increasingly become a political flashpoint in the Union Territory.
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The decision was taken at a meeting of NC MLAs, MPs and Independent legislators supporting the Omar Abdullah government. The gathering, chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at Dachigam National Park on the outskirts of Srinagar, lasted more than seven hours and focused on the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir as well as concerns raised by legislators.
Briefing the media after the meeting, NC chief spokesperson and Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq said the party had decided to take its statehood campaign to New Delhi.
“We held discussions on many issues. But the most important issue, Special Status, was also discussed. NC has decided to stage a protest in New Delhi on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament for restoration of statehood and constitutional guarantees. Threadbare discussions were also held on the drug and alcohol menace and developmental issues,” Sadiq said.
He added that the party would decide later whether the protest would be held at Jantar Mantar or another location in the national capital.
Earlier, India Today had reported that the restoration of statehood was likely to dominate the NC meeting, with a section of party MLAs pushing the Omar Abdullah government to pursue the demand more aggressively with the Centre.
The decision to take the statehood battle to New Delhi comes at a time when the Omar Abdullah government has been under sustained attack from opposition parties such as the PDP and the J&K People’s Conference, both of which have accused the NC of going soft on the issue.
The pressure has not come from the opposition alone. NC MP from Srinagar, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, has repeatedly expressed differences with the party leadership over both the statehood issue and the reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir, where reservations now exceed the 50 per cent mark.
Mehdi has publicly criticised his own party’s government on several occasions and has even joined students protesting outside Omar Abdullah’s residence over the reservation issue. Significantly, he was not present at Wednesday’s meeting. It remains unclear whether he was invited.
The Chief Minister has also faced criticism from Congress, which fought the 2024 Assembly elections in alliance with the NC. Following the election results, however, Congress decided not to join the government until statehood was restored and instead extended outside support.
Several Congress leaders have since criticised the NC government for not pressing the statehood demand strongly enough. Congress legislators were not invited to Wednesday’s meeting.
The issue of alcohol regulation also featured prominently during the discussions. Several MLAs, including members of the ruling NC, have demanded restrictions or a complete ban on alcohol sales in Jammu and Kashmir.
During the winter session of the Assembly, five private members’ bills seeking either a total ban or restrictions on alcohol were introduced. The Omar Abdullah government, however, has so far shown little inclination to support such proposals. Recently, BJP leaders and workers also staged protests in Srinagar demanding an alcohol ban.
Opposition parties have additionally accused the government of failing to fulfil several election promises. The BJP and PDP have repeatedly raised the issue of the regularisation of daily wagers. However, Omar Abdullah has maintained that his government remains committed to regularising daily wagers but has argued that the process must be implemented in a phased manner.
The political challenges facing the Chief Minister have been compounded by the NC’s defeat in the Budgam bypoll. Omar Abdullah had contested and won both Ganderbal and Budgam in the 2024 Assembly elections before vacating the latter seat. The subsequent bypoll was won by the PDP, a result widely viewed as an embarrassment for the NC. Political observers have linked the defeat to the growing differences between Aga Ruhullah Mehdi and Omar Abdullah. Budgam is considered a political stronghold of the Srinagar MP.
Against this backdrop, Omar Abdullah convened a meeting of NC legislators and supporting Independents to discuss what party leaders described as “matters of collective importance and issues concerning public welfare”.
The NC’s decision to launch protests in New Delhi is being viewed as an attempt by the party leadership to address concerns within its ranks and counter criticism from both allies and opponents.
Rumours have been circulating in political circles that a section of NC MLAs is unhappy with the functioning of the Omar Abdullah government. The BJP has seized on such speculation, claiming that the NC government is heading towards instability.
Leader of the Opposition, Sunil Sharma, recently described the legislators’ meeting as Omar Abdullah’s attempt “to save a sinking ship”.
NC leaders have dismissed those claims, insisting that the Chief Minister enjoys the full confidence of party legislators and that there is no threat to the government’s stability.
For now, Omar Abdullah continues to command a comfortable majority in the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. The National Conference has 41 MLAs, while the BJP has 29. The Congress has six legislators, the PDP four, CPM one, AAP one, JK People’s Conference one and seven are Independents.
The ruling side’s strength stands at 53, comprising 41 NC legislators, six Congress MLAs providing outside support, five Independents, including one serving as a minister in the government, and one CPM MLA. While a withdrawal of support by Congress and the Independents could alter the numbers significantly, such a scenario currently appears unlikely.
The choice of Dachigam National Park as the venue for the meeting also sparked political reactions. PDP leader Iltija Mufti took a swipe at the NC leadership, posting on X: “In Kashmir MLAs are more endangered than Hanguls! Must designate a special separate wildlife park for them IYKYK.”
J&K People’s Conference chief and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone also mocked the choice of venue in a social media post.
Ahead of the meeting, Omar Abdullah had dismissed reports that the venue was changed at the last minute. In a post on X, he said the off-site meeting had been planned well in advance and that all arrangements had been made accordingly.
As the political battle over statehood intensifies, all eyes will now be on the NC’s planned protest in the national capital. Whether it evolves into a full-fledged confrontation with the Modi government or remains a symbolic assertion of the party’s position on statehood could shape the next phase of politics in Jammu and Kashmir.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
