Farooq Abdullah writes to INDIA Bloc, J&K leaders about upcoming protest against statehood
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah on Thursday (July 9, 2026) wrote a letter to INDIA Bloc members, non-BJP national parties and local leaders, including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, to support the party’s upcoming protest against statehood and constitutional rights.
“Dr. Abdullah addressed political parties in Jammu and Kashmir and leaders from across the country and invited them to join our peaceful, democratic protest at Jantar Mantar on the opening day of the monsoon session of Parliament,” the NC spokesperson said.
He said the protest was not about one party, one region or one people. “This is about defending India’s federal spirit, upholding the Constitution and demanding the long-awaited restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as repeatedly promised. We hope that every democratic voice across the country will be united in this common cause,” he added.
Dignity and respect
NC plans protest on July 20 in New Delhi over statehood delay. Dr. In a letter to political leaders, Abdullah referred to Jammu and Kashmir as the “most turbulent place” in the past. “The people chose hope. We chose the vote, the constitution and the democratic process that we are all a part of in one way or another. We deserve to be treated with equal dignity and respect,” the NC president said.
Dr. Stating that his party was “counting on your solidarity”, Abdullah said: “I count on the democratic conscience that brought each of us into the sphere of public life and in the service of our people and this great nation. Together we will send an unequivocal message that the people of Jammu and Kashmir remain the guardians of the voice of those who have been made to wait too long”.
At the start of the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, the NC plans to gather at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to “register a solemn and democratic protest against the inconsiderate delay in the restoration or statehood of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, a promise made unequivocally and repeatedly by the Government of India”.
“It is in the spirit of a shared sense of responsibility and duty towards the upliftment and progress of the people of Jammu and Kashmir that I am addressing each and every one of you,” said Dr. Abdullah.
Referring to August 5, 2019, when the Center ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two Union Territories, Dr. Abdullah said, “It was a historic and deeply flawed decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution, bifurcate it and reduce it to the status of two Union Territories, a decision that remains unprecedented to this day”.
Referring to the statement made by the ruling BJP leaders in Parliament on the statehood of Dr. Abdullah said, “We the people of Jammu and Kashmir remained dignified and patient as we accepted these assurances in good faith. We did not take to the streets. Instead we went to the polls. The 2024 elections were held smoothly and peacefully.”
“The people returned their mandate with confidence and with hope. The elected government is now functioning, and yet statehood – the most basic constitutional right, the most basic unit of self-government in a federal democracy – remains hidden and eludes us. There is no explanation. There is no timetable,” said Dr. Abdullah.
Ahead of the Jantar Mantar protest, the NC is also organizing a rally in Srinagar on July 11 and 13 to drum up support for the demands for statehood and constitutional guarantees.
“This is not mere delay. It is an affront to the democratic will of the entire people. I would like to impress upon you, my esteemed colleagues, that what is at stake is not merely the sentiment or position of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The manner in which our state, once a constitutional entity with its own assembly, its own government, its own identity, has been reduced to a subordinate federation held in administrative bodies.” letter to Dr. Abdullah.
He said the upcoming protest “will be peaceful, democratic and constitutional.” “We are not asking for anything beyond what has been promised. Our demands will not exceed those already promised to us,” said Dr. Abdullah.
Published – 9 Jul 2026 22:17 IST