Statehood Takes Centre Stage as Omar Abdullah Defends Mirwaiz Invitation

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday strongly defended the National Conference’s (NC) decision to invite Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric and Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama (MMU) chairman, Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq, to the proposed July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

Dismissing the criticism generated by the move, Abdullah alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was deliberately creating a controversy to divert attention from the core issue of the agitation—the restoration of J&K’s statehood.

The Chief Minister maintained that the demonstration is not intended to serve as a platform for political confrontation but as a broad-based democratic movement seeking the fulfilment of repeated assurances regarding the restoration of statehood to J&K. He said the NC had embarked on an extensive outreach campaign and extended invitations across the political and social spectrum, including political parties, religious leaders, civil society representatives, trade bodies and other stakeholders, in an effort to build the widest possible consensus around the demand.

Responding specifically to objections over the invitation extended to Mirwaiz Umar, Abdullah said there should be no controversy in inviting a prominent religious leader who represents a significant section of society in J&K. Describing the outreach as part of an inclusive strategy, he said the movement aims to unite different sections of society behind a common constitutional and democratic objective. According to Abdullah, the restoration of statehood is an issue that transcends political affiliations and ideological divisions and concerns every resident of J&K.

Accusing the BJP of manufacturing a controversy, the Chief Minister said the debate should focus on the Union Government’s commitment to restore statehood rather than on who has been invited to participate in the protest. He argued that attempts to shift public discourse towards the Mirwaiz invitation were intended to distract from the larger political question that has remained unresolved since J&K was reorganised into a Union Territory in 2019.

The NC has invited nearly all major political formations in J&K, including the BJP, Congress, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Apni Party and Peoples Conference, while also reaching out to national and regional parties across the country irrespective of their political alignments. Invitations have additionally been extended to religious organisations, trade associations and civil society groups. Abdullah highlighted a recent three-hour consultation meeting attended by around 170 representatives from diverse sectors, saying there was unanimous support for the immediate restoration of statehood.

The BJP, however, reacted sharply to the NC’s decision to invite Mirwaiz Umar, accusing the party of indulging in political theatrics and displaying what it described as a continued tendency towards “soft separatism.” BJP leaders argued that by inviting a leader associated with the Hurriyat Conference’s political legacy, the NC had exposed its willingness to accommodate separatist sentiments under the guise of a mainstream political campaign. The party portrayed the move as an anti-national compromise and questioned the NC’s political intentions behind giving a prominent role to the Mirwaiz in a public mobilisation effort.

Leader of the Opposition in the J&K Assembly, Sunil Sharma, and other BJP leaders rejected the invitation outright and announced a complete boycott of the proposed protest. They asserted that the restoration of statehood is a matter that can only be decided by Parliament and not through what they termed “eyewash” demonstrations at Jantar Mantar. The BJP maintained that the NC was attempting to create unnecessary drama despite repeated assurances from the Centre regarding the eventual restoration of statehood.

Adding another layer to the evolving political debate, Mirwaiz Umar himself has indicated that the movement should not be confined to the demand for statehood alone. He has argued that any meaningful political resolution for J&K should also include the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, along with other constitutional safeguards that were revoked following the August 2019 changes. His remarks have further sharpened political divisions, with critics claiming they reveal a broader agenda behind the mobilisation, while supporters argue that they reflect long-standing political aspirations in the region.

The July 20 protest, scheduled to coincide with the Monsoon Session of Parliament, is expected to be the NC’s most significant political mobilisation on the statehood issue. Through its nationwide outreach campaign, the party is seeking to build a broad coalition comprising regional parties, national political leaders, civil society groups, trade organisations and religious representatives from across the country.

The NC has insisted that the demonstration is intended to intensify pressure on the Union Government to honour its commitments and restore J&K’s statehood, while the BJP continues to accuse the party of reviving old political narratives and legitimising elements linked to separatist politics. As the date approaches, the protest is increasingly shaping up as a political showdown over both the future status of J&K and the competing narratives surrounding its post-2019 political landscape.