J&K CM Omar Abdullah Leads Jantar Mantar Protest For Statehood Restoration

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accompanied by National Conference president and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, led a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Sunday demanding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The demonstration, attended by several MLAs and ministers, marked the first time a serving Chief Minister of the Union Territory participated in a street protest over the statehood issue.

The protest came amid heightened political activity in the national capital, with Omar Abdullah asserting that the restoration of statehood was essential for protecting the rights and dignity of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Farooq Abdullah, who joined the march despite his advanced age, stood alongside party leaders and supporters throughout the demonstration, carrying forward the party's long-standing demand for the restoration of full statehood.

Addressing supporters, Omar Abdullah took an apparent swipe at political opponents who did not participate in the protest. Referring to his father, he said that despite being nearly 90 years old, Farooq Abdullah had chosen to lead from the front, while others limited themselves to expressing their views on social media. He described the demonstration as the beginning of a broader movement to reclaim the rights and democratic status of Jammu and Kashmir.

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Holding a placard reading "Restore rights and dignity of the people of J&K", Omar Abdullah alleged that protesters were prevented from peacefully reaching Jantar Mantar and claimed they were met with tear gas shelling. In a post on social media platform X, he said the protesters were stopped from exercising their democratic right to demonstrate but insisted that the movement for statehood would continue despite the restrictions.

The demand for restoring statehood has remained a key political issue since August 2019, when the Union government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and reorganised the erstwhile state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Since then, several political parties in the region have consistently sought the restoration of statehood through constitutional and democratic means.

Following the protest, Omar Abdullah said he had to leave the venue in an auto-rickshaw after his walk from Jantar Mantar risked merging with another procession taking place nearby. He remarked that the change in transport helped him avoid joining the other march inadvertently. The demonstration concluded with party leaders reiterating their commitment to continue campaigning for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood and constitutional rights.

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