NC Leadership Reaffirms Unwavering Push for Restoration of J&K’s Statehood

SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) leaders on Thursday said that the struggle to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood—and reverse the constitutional changes of August 5, 2019—will continue relentlessly.

Senior leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, speaking separately but in complete alignment, underscored that the party views the abrogation of Article 370 and the downgrading of the erstwhile state as an assault on the rights and identity of its people, one they refuse to let fade with time.

Farooq Abdullah, NC president and former chief minister, reiterated that the decisions taken on August 5, 2019, were “unconstitutional” and remain widely opposed across the country. He pointed to the demonstrations held inside and outside Parliament as evidence of a growing national solidarity with J&K’s demand for justice. Abdullah stressed that the NC’s stance is institutional and unwavering: “I don’t have any policy; the National Conference has a policy,” he said, making clear that the party’s collective commitment supersedes individual positions.

When asked about remarks made by Union Minister Giriraj Singh against PDP president Mehbooba Mufti calling her a “terrorist”, Abdullah maintained that she is fully capable of responding to such comments herself.

The anniversary of the abrogation—marked on Wednesday—saw a mix of protests and celebrations across J&K. The NC and the PDP organised demonstrations in every district, demanding the restoration of the special status and statehood that were revoked when the BJP-led Central Government abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated the state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reinforced the party’s stance during a visit to flood-hit Rajouri, where he reviewed relief and rehabilitation efforts. Responding to questions about whether the demonstrations would lead to further action, he affirmed that the struggle is far from over. “Yes. We will continue our efforts until statehood is restored,” he said, emphasising that the movement is not symbolic but sustained and strategic.

On social media, Omar Abdullah echoed the sentiment, writing that seven years after the abrogation, neither he nor his party have forgotten or accepted the current circumstances. He vowed to reverse all measures that undermined J&K’s rights and identity, invoking Robert Frost’s famous lines to signal endurance and resolve: “The woods are lovely, dark & deep. But I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep…”