Enough is enough: Omar Abdullah announces Delhi march for J&K statehood on July 20
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Conference's July 20 demonstration in Delhi will mark the beginning of a new phase in its
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Conference's July 20 demonstration in Delhi will mark the beginning of a new phase in its campaign for the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory. Addressing a public rally, Abdullah said the party had waited long enough and would now take its demand to the national capital. He said statehood was not a favour but the right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and questioned the Centre's repeated assurance that it would be restored at an 'appropriate time'. Abdullah said the party had given the Central government nearly two years, but had now decided to adopt a new strategy after talks did not produce results. Read Full Story Abdullah was speaking at a well-attended rally at Maharaja Hari Singh Park, his first major public meeting in Jammu city in many years. The rally was held in a BJP stronghold and came a day after the Conference held a workers' convention at the mausoleum of Abdullah's grandparents in the Hazratbal area to mark the 26th death anniversary of his grandmother, Akbar Jehan. He paid tribute to her from the stage as thousands of party workers cheered and waved flags and banners demanding statehood. A large banner read, 'Delhi Chalo! We Want Our Statehood', while placards carried slogans such as 'Hamari Riyasat, Hamari Shaan' and 'Hamari Riyasat, Hamara Haq'.
'Enough is enough! There will be no more waiting!' Abdullah said. He added, 'Our decency is being taken for granted. Our silence is being mistaken for weakness, and our patience is being tested beyond its limits.' He said that after facing taunts from the BJP, repeated accusations and what he called conspiracies against his party, the Conference had concluded that 'the time has come to take to the streets'. He said, 'We have given the Central government enough time. For almost two years, we pursued one approach... Now we will adopt a new strategy. That new phase will begin on July 20, when we will gather in Delhi and raise our voice for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.' Calling statehood a right, Abdullah said the issue went beyond his party and concerned every party that contested the 2024 Assembly election. 'Show me a single BJP MLA who told voters that the party would oppose statehood. They sought votes promising restoration,' he said. On the Centre's repeated use of the phrase 'appropriate time', he asked what that meant and whether it meant waiting for the BJP to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the Centre had earlier set out a sequence of delimitation, election and then statehood, and noted that the Supreme Court had also called for the restoration of statehood 'as soon as possible' after the election.
The BriefWire