National Conference Calls July 20 Jantar Mantar Protest for J&K Statehood; BJP Terms It An 'Eyewash'

New Delhi: The ruling National Conference (NC) has announced a major protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on July 20 to press the Centre for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, inviting 52 political leaders from across party lines to join what it described as a united democratic campaign. 

However, the move has triggered a sharp political response from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has dismissed the proposed demonstration as an "eyewash" and accused the Omar Abdullah-led government of indulging in political theatrics.

The protest, scheduled to begin at 10:30 am on July 20, comes months after the NC government repeatedly demanded the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, a promise the Centre has said would be fulfilled at an appropriate time after the completion of the electoral process.

According to the National Conference, invitations have been extended to 52 leaders representing a wide spectrum of political parties to build a united front on the issue. 

The party has maintained that restoring full statehood is essential for democratic governance and fulfilling commitments made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories in August 2019.

The NC has said the demonstration is aimed at reminding the Centre of its repeated assurances on restoring statehood and urged all political parties to rise above partisan politics in support of the demand.

However, Leader of the Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma questioned the timing and intent of the protest, alleging that it was an attempt to divert attention from the ruling government's performance.

Addressing reporters in Jammu on Thursday, Sharma asked what had happened to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's proposed signature campaign for the restoration of statehood, which he said had been promised last year but never materialised.

Calling the Delhi protest an "eyewash", Sharma alleged that the National Conference was attempting to distract the public from what he described as corruption and governance failures under the current administration. He accused the ruling dispensation of ignoring issues related to transparency, accountability and public welfare while resorting to political symbolism.

Sharma also announced that the BJP would launch a statewide agitation against the Jammu and Kashmir government's outsourcing policy. He said the first phase of the agitation would begin with a gherao of the Civil Secretariat and asserted that the BJP would continue its protests until the concerns of unemployed youth and other affected sections were addressed.

The BJP leader said his party would continue raising issues of governance, employment and public accountability both inside and outside the legislature.

The National Conference's July 20 protest is expected to further intensify the political battle over the long-pending issue of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, with both the ruling party and the opposition BJP seeking to shape the narrative ahead of the next phase of political engagement with the Centre.

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