SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has sharply intensified his criticism of the Union Government ahead of the National Conference’s (NC) planned July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar, accusing the Centre of reneging on its repeated assurances—made both in Parliament and before the Supreme Court—to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. His remarks, delivered across multiple public engagements, paint a picture of mounting frustration, political pressure, and alleged attempts to destabilise the NC-led government.
Speaking at a commemorative rally beside the tomb of his grandmother, Begum Akbar Jehan, on her 26th death anniversary at Naseem Bagh here on Sunday, Abdullah said the NC had shown extraordinary restraint since the abrogation of Article 370, choosing dialogue over confrontation despite deep public resentment. He reminded supporters that he had “put his political reputation on the line” by advocating engagement with New Delhi rather than agitation, emphasising that patience should never be mistaken for weakness. “I am the person who, for the past two and a half years, has put his political reputation at stake by telling the Central government that we want to secure our rights through dialogue, not confrontation,” he said.
Recalling his imprisonment in 2019 after the Centre stripped J&K of its special status and divided it into two Union territories, Abdullah said his party’s history was rooted in resilience. “Patience is our strength and our voice. God willing, this very patience will lead us to victory and success,” he said, adding, “Our patience is not weakness; it is our strength. But if anyone mistakes it for surrender, they are mistaken.”
Referring to the Supreme Court proceedings on Article 370, Abdullah said the Union Government had itself outlined a three-step roadmap: delimitation, Assembly elections and the restoration of statehood. He said, “Delimitation has been completed and Assembly elections have been held successfully. The people have delivered a clear mandate. There is now no justification for any further delay in restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.” The Chief Minister also alleged that the delimitation exercise had been politically designed to benefit the BJP, but said voters had decisively rejected that effort through the democratic process.
The Chief Minister accused the Centre of disregarding the elected government’s legitimate demands even as it showed readiness to engage with Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He questioned why New Delhi was prepared to consider constitutional safeguards such as Article 371 for Ladakh while denying basic political rights to the people of J&K. Drawing a contrast between the two Union territories carved out of the erstwhile state in August 2019, Abdullah said Ladakh was being offered discussions on safeguards while J&K continued to wait for the restoration of statehood despite repeated assurances.
He said he had repeatedly raised the issue of statehood in meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, only to be told each time that restoration would happen “at the right time”—a phrase he described as vague and evasive.
In one of the most explosive allegations, the Chief Minister claimed that BJP-linked operatives attempted to engineer defections within the NC. He said a Jammu-based MLA informed him that a Supreme Court lawyer “close to the BJP” had offered ₹20–30 crore, a ministerial berth, and even the promise of statehood if he agreed to switch sides. Abdullah warned that such attempts to “break the National Conference” were an insult to the people’s mandate and reflected a dangerous trend of political destabilisation.
He also criticised the Lieutenant Governor’s administration for overstepping constitutional boundaries, arguing that the Raj Bhawan was obstructing the functioning of the elected government. “Why did you hold elections if you won’t let the government work?” he asked, suggesting that certain elements preferred governance through bureaucratic control rather than democratic institutions.
As the July 20 protest approaches, the NC has launched a nationwide outreach campaign to build a broad coalition in support of statehood restoration. Invitations have been sent to regional parties, civil society groups, trade bodies, religious leaders, and national political figures—including those outside both the INDIA bloc and the NDA. The Chief Minister highlighted a recent three-hour meeting attended by nearly 170 representatives from diverse sectors, all of whom unanimously demanded immediate restoration of statehood.
One of the prominent invitees to the planned protest -Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has said that the movement should not stop at statehood but must also seek the reinstatement of Articles 370 and 35A along with all constitutional safeguards removed in 2019. BJP leader Sunil Sharma on Friday announced that his party would not participate in the July 20 rally, accusing the NC government of using the protest to divert attention from governance failures.
Abdullah has alleged that attempts were being made to sabotage the NC’s planned demonstration by delaying official permission and scheduling overlapping programmes. He said on Friday that the party had been seeking clearance for several days while others received approval within 24 hours.
Saturday’s rally, held on the western shore of the famed Dal Lake where Begum Abdullah is buried beside her husband, legendary Kashmiri leader Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, was framed as both a tribute and a show of strength. The Chief Minister invoked her legacy of resilience, saying she taught the party to remain steadfast in adversity. He reiterated that the NC’s demand remains simple and unwavering–the restoration of J&K’s statehood without further delay.
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