Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the National Conference (NC) will proceed with its planned statehood protest in New Delhi on July 20, although changes may be made to the venue and format of the demonstration. The Chief Minister said the party remains committed to raising its demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.

Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Omar Abdullah said the NC’s programme to travel to Delhi would take place as scheduled. He clarified that while the location and mode of the protest could be modified, the party would not withdraw its decision to hold the demonstration. He said the party intended to make its position heard publicly rather than conduct the programme privately.

“We will not carry out this programme secretly in some corner. We will go to Delhi and raise our voice there,” Omar Abdullah said. Responding to questions on whether separate programmes announced by other groups ahead of the protest were aimed at diverting attention or creating obstacles, he declined to comment, saying he did not want to speculate on such matters.

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The Chief Minister reiterated that the National Conference would decide its future course of action after completing the Delhi programme. He said the party could have organised a smaller gathering locally if it wanted to avoid public attention, but it had chosen to travel to the national Capital to highlight its demand.

The proposed NC protest comes amid continued political discussions over the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. Senior National Conference leaders, including Omar Abdullah and party legislators, are expected to reach Delhi on July 19 to participate in the July 20 programme. The party has been seeking the early restoration of statehood following the reorganisation of the former state in 2019.

The July 20 date will also see a separate demonstration by Kashmiri Pandit organisations, including Panun Kashmir, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. These groups are expected to raise demands related to a separate homeland for displaced Kashmiri Hindus in the Valley and seek accountability over the community’s displacement during the 1990s. The overlapping programmes are likely to draw attention to different political demands connected with Jammu and Kashmir.

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