Farooq Abdullah to Raise J&K Statehood Demand at INDIA Bloc Meet in Delhi

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 6 :  In a firm reiteration of his party’s long-standing stance, National Conference president and Member of Parliament Dr. Farooq Abdullah said on Tuesday that he would actively raise the demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir during the upcoming meeting of the INDIA bloc in New Delhi. The meeting of opposition leaders, convened by the Congress, is scheduled for Wednesday and will see participation from key stakeholders across the national opposition spectrum.

Speaking to reporters during his visit to Anantnag in South Kashmir, Dr. Abdullah confirmed his personal attendance at the Delhi meet. “A senior Congress leader has invited all INDIA bloc leaders. I will go myself and raise the issue of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. They have supported us before, and I hope they will continue to do so,” he said, expressing cautious optimism about gaining collective support for the cause.

Dr. Abdullah’s remarks came a day after his son, NC vice president and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, wrote to the heads of 42 political parties, urging them to collectively push the Union Government to introduce legislation in the ongoing Parliament session to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. The letter called the restoration of statehood not a political concession but an “essential course correction” after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories in August 2019.

The NC chief also drew attention to legal proceedings in the Supreme Court, where the issue of J&K’s statehood and constitutional changes made in August 2019 is listed for hearing on August 8. “Let us wait and see what the Supreme Court decides on Friday,” he added, signaling that the party is pursuing both political and judicial avenues to press for its demands.

When asked about the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) criticism of the National Conference and its approach to post-2019 developments, Dr. Abdullah did not hold back. He placed the blame for J&K’s current status squarely on the PDP’s decision to form an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following the 2014 Assembly elections. “They (PDP) brought misfortune upon the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We had offered Mufti Mohammad Sayeed support without seeking ministries, but he chose the BJP instead. Had he accepted our offer, Article 370 and 35A might still be intact today,” Dr. Abdullah asserted.

He accused the PDP of misleading the people and said the political consequences of their past decisions are already visible. “They fooled the people before, and now they are trying to do it again. But people are wise. God has shown them their place once and will do so again,” he said, in a direct rebuke of the PDP’s public posturing on the issue.

With both legal and political strategies underway, the National Conference appears to be sharpening its campaign to bring back statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, while also positioning itself as the more consistent voice of regional autonomy within the broader opposition alliance. The outcome of the INDIA bloc meeting and the Supreme Court hearing may well shape the next phase of this struggle for constitutional and political restoration in the region.