Protest against govt not anti-national, stop action against protesters: Omar Abdullah

Published 7 August 2026 · politics

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said protesting against the government should not be treated as being against the nation, and asked

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said protesting against the government should not be treated as being against the nation, and asked the authorities to stop action against students who joined the agitation over irregularities in the NEET examination. Speaking to reporters in Jammu, Abdullah also referred to recent remarks by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on youth protests. Read Full Story He further spoke about the ongoing agitation by students in Jharkhand, political developments involving the Peoples Democratic Party, and reports of civilian casualties in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. On the NEET protests, Abdullah said the students had raised legitimate issues. "They protested for their rights and for what was rightfully theirs because none of their demands was against the country. Their protest was certainly against the government, but not against the nation," he said. Referring to Bhagwat's remarks, Abdullah said it was encouraging that a distinction had been made between opposing the government and acting against the country. On Thursday, Bhagwat supported Gen Z, saying their grievances are genuine and he believes in their honesty, while insisting that protests by young people do not make them "anti-national". "The good thing is that Mohan Bhagwat ji has acknowledged this distinction. Opposing the government is not the same as opposing the country. In fact, opposing the government is often beneficial for the nation because it helps correct mistakes wherever they occur," Abdullah said.

He said the agitation had helped ensure accountability and expressed hope that it would lead to improvements in the conduct of future examinations. Abdullah also voiced concern over reports of action against the protesters. He said students were allegedly being manhandled, booked in criminal cases and harassed on social media, and that in some cases the police had summoned their relatives. "I believe this entire course of action should stop," he said. The Cockroach Janta Party's "Sansad Chalo" protest march turned violent in New Delhi on July 20. Police said more than 118 police personnel, including several senior officers, were injured, and protesters also sustained injuries in the scuffle. On July 25, 2026, the CJP called off its 36-day youth-led protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The agitation ended immediately after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the government agreed to key demands, including compensation for affected families and the withdrawal of FIRs against protesters. Referring to the protests in Jharkhand, Abdullah said he hoped Chief Minister Hemant Soren would engage with the students instead of ignoring their demands. "He should call them, hold talks with them, and if anything wrong has actually happened, take action against those responsible, just as we did here," Abdullah said. He urged the Jharkhand government to speak to the protesters and address their grievances.