The plan for July 20 protest by National Conference is on despite chief minister (CM) Omar Abdullah returning to Jammu to monitor the situation across parts of division following heavy rain, party leaders said on Sunday.
Details
The ruling- National Conference (NC) has decided to protest outside Jantar Mantar on July 20–first day of Parliament’s monsoon session–to demand statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. While the party had sought permission from Delhi administration to hold their protest at Jantar Mantar, they are yet to receive a go ahead.
The chief minister handed over the reins of the protest programme to his father and party president Farooq Abdullah to return to Jammu. “In light of the weather warning put out by the meteorological department & the seriousness of the situation unfolding across parts of Jammu division I will leave Delhi to fly to Jammu this afternoon to personally monitor the situation on the ground. The statehood protest will go ahead under the leadership of JKNC president Farooq Abdullah as planned,” Omar said.
Despite ambiguity owing to the lack of permission, majority of the NC leadership and legislators have reached Delhi. “Almost all the ministers and legislators (MLAs) have reached Delhi, including party president Farooq abdullah and deputy CM Surinder Choudhary, for the protest programme,” said NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar.
He said that besides the MLAs and ministers, a large number of NC workers and leaders are also camping in Delhi. “Some 200-300 people, including youth leaders and district presidents, are in the national capital to make the protest programme a success,” he said.
“We are yet to receive the permission for the protest. There are two possible venues- Jantar Mantar or Ram Leela Maidan. But so far we have not received the permission,” he said.
Earlier, NC president Farooq Abdullah had sent invitations to 54 leaders, including national leaders, heads of different political parties of J&K, and some prominent citizens, inviting them to join the protest. However, except Congress, all the other local parties, including Peoples Democratic Party, People’s Conference and Apni Party have decided to skip.
NC lashes out at PDP, PC
Criticising the opposition for skipping the statehood protest, the NC said demanding statehood does not mean giving up the fight for other constitutional rights.
“Attempts by PDP, Apni Party and JKPC to blame us of ‘normalising’ the BJP’s agenda are nothing but political diversions aimed at misleading the people of J&K.The fact is that @OmarAbdullah’s government passed a resolution in the legislative assembly seeking the restoration of J&K’s special constitutional rights, making its position absolutely clear,” said NC spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar on X.
“Instead of joining the collective demand for the restoration of statehood, which continues to be denied by the BJP despite its repeated promises, PDP, Apni Party and PC are trying to divert attention through baseless accusations,” he said.
BJP postpones July 20 secretariat gherao plan
BJP on Sunday announced that it was postponing its protest programme to gherao the civil secretariat in Srinagar against “outsourcing of jobs and unemployment” in J&K.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma said politics can wait and humanity should come first as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) decided to postpone its proposed July 20 protest in view of the flash floods that caused heavy loss of life and property in Poonch and Rajouri districts.
