ISLAMABAD: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, intensifying its demand for the restoration of the statehood of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and urging Delhi to state its position on the issue clearly.
According to the Press Trust of India, on Monday, hundreds of JKNC workers and legislators turned up at Jantar Mantar, from where the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) also started its protest march toward Parliament against the paper leaks scandal.
The demonstration drew senior JKNC leaders, including party president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, who joined protesters at Jantar Mantar in a show of solidarity. Speaking to supporters, he said the restoration of statehood was essential for protecting the democratic rights and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He maintained that the party would continue its peaceful and constitutional campaign until the demand is fulfilled.
The protest witnessed participation from party legislators, office-bearers and workers from Indian Jammu and Kashmir, with demonstrators carrying placards and raising slogans calling for the restoration of statehood.
Addressing party workers and supporters, Chief Minister of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah said the center should either restore statehood as promised or openly declare that it has no intention of doing so.
"The people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve clarity," Abdullah said, asserting that the demand for statehood is rooted in constitutional and democratic principles rather than partisan politics.
He reiterated that the restoration of full statehood was promised by the Union government after the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganization of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories in August 2019.
The National Conference has consistently maintained that restoring Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir's statehood is a prerequisite for strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring effective governance.
Party leaders said that they would continue to pursue the issue through democratic and constitutional means, expressing hope that the center would honor its stated commitment and restore the region's statehood at the earliest.
In August 2019, the Indian government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, revoking the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir state's autonomy and splitting the region into two federally governed Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Article 370 of the Indian Constitution historically granted the region of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir special autonomous status, allowing it to have its own constitution, state flag, and separate laws.
