Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 12 (ANI): Ahead of the July 20 ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest, Jammu and Kashmir Minister Satish Sharma reiterated demands for restoration of full statehood, recalling past assurances by the Centre which are yet to be fulfilled.
He stressed that securing this demand is vital for both local empowerment and the strengthening of India.
“I wanted people from all parties to gather here. From the very first day, when we raised the demand in the House. We were told that this demand would be fulfilled in Delhi. Now we are going to Delhi. This country is ours; we are the crown of this country. We feel that people should understand what the future holds. Restoring statehood will strengthen the state as well as India,” Sharma told ANI.
The ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest reflects the long-standing demand from the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) to grant statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier on July 10, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the National Conference has not received permission for its July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, demanding restoration of full statehood for the Union Territory. He alleged that there was an intent to “sabotage” the National Conference’s protest.
Full statehood has been a part of NC’s long-standing demand after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. National Conference has invited 52 leaders across party lines for the protest at Jantar Mantar.
CM Omar Abdullah said, “We are still in the process of trying to secure that permission. It didn’t even take 24 hours for the cockroach party to get permission, whereas we have been at it for four or five days now. Some people are intent on sabotaging our program; they changed their dates to coincide with ours.”
NC MLA Riyaz Ahmad Khan has reiterated the party’s argument that the Centre had promised to restore the statehood on the floor of the Parliament.
Riyaz Ahmad Khan said, “On June 3, a meeting of all MLAs and MPs was held; it was decided there that statehood should have been granted long ago–there has already been a significant delay. Therefore, to compel the central government and convince them of this necessity, we felt we must go to Delhi and press for this demand vigorously. You call it a protest, but I would term it a ‘demand’ rather than a protest, because we are seeking statehood from our own country and our own Prime Minister–not from a foreign nation or a foreign leader.”
Ahmad also defended inviting cleric and ‘separatist’ leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to the Jantar Mantar protest.
“Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is a religious scholar. His ideology may be different. After all, he is a resident of Jammu and Kashmir. There is no such issue that a letter should not be written to him,” he said.
According to a statement from Mirwaiz’s office, he has said, “It is the foremost responsibility of the NC government towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who gave it a mandate on the clear promise that, once elected, it would revive the pre-2019 status of J&K, including restoration of statehood and Article 370 and 35A,” Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said, addressing a gathering at the Srinagar Jama Masjid.”
Following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the Centre formed two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that the status of a state would be restored once the situation normalises.
In 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the move to abrogate Article 370, while not taking up the question of the restoration of statehood, as the Centre had submitted that it would be restored in due time. (AN
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