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Srinagar: Urging the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government to fulfil its promise to restore full statehood to the region, the ruling Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) on July 20, staged a protest for the restoration of statehood in the national capital.

The protest, led by National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, was attended by around one hundred NC legislators and workers along with leaders from the Congress, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and others. The party held similar protests at district headquarters across Jammu and Kashmir.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had earlier cut short his visit to New Delhi and returned to Jammu to monitor the flood situation in the Union territory, later re-joined the protest in the capital.

Omar alleged that the protesters were stopped from reaching Jantar Mantar and accused the authorities of attempting to suppress a peaceful demonstration. “We wanted to protest peacefully, but they made us a target of tear gas. Democracy is being strangled,” Omar said.

The NC had originally planned to hold its protest at Jantar Mantar but alleged that permission was denied. Protesters first assembled at 5, Prithviraj Road before proceeding towards the protest site.

The protest saw participation from All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and MLA Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra and several other Congress leaders, who marched alongside Farooq Abdullah.

The chief minister also travelled in an autorickshaw to reach the protest venue after restrictions were imposed. He shared the video from the auto on his X.

“We were stopped from getting to Jantar Mantar and stopped from protesting peacefully for what is rightfully ours, but we were not silenced.........

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