After a seven-hour-long marathon meeting of party MLAs and MPs at Dachigam National Park, the ruling National Conference (NC) has decided to hold a protest on the first day of the forthcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament to press for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and constitutional guarantees.
The National Conference described the present time as the most appropriate for granting full statehood to the Union Territory.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, the party’s chief spokesperson, Tanvir Sadiq, said the NC had resolved to take its demands directly to the national capital.
“The meeting unanimously decided that on the first day of the Monsoon Session, we will go to Delhi and stage a protest, either at Jantar Mantar or another suitable venue, demanding the restoration of statehood and constitutional guarantees for Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Sadiq said the meeting witnessed detailed discussions on a range of issues affecting different regions of Jammu and Kashmir, including development concerns, drug abuse, social issues, and other matters related to the Union Territory.
Referring to the party’s political agenda, Sadiq said the leadership believes the time has come to intensify efforts for the restoration of what was taken away from Jammu and Kashmir following the constitutional changes of 2019.
“Statehood remains our long-pending demand. We will go to Delhi and raise our voice for the restoration of our constitutional guarantees and rights,” he said.
The NC leader said the meeting was attended by all National Conference MLAs, supporting independent legislators, and members of parliament associated with the party.
When asked about the possibility of a Cabinet expansion, Sadiq declined to comment, saying the matter falls within the domain of the Chief Minister.
“That is the prerogative of the chief minister. He will make a decision whenever he feels it is appropriate,” he said.
Dachigam meeting puts to rest speculation over differences within NC
Wednesday’s much-publicised meeting of the ruling National Conference put to rest speculation about a split within the party or resentment among its MLAs.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah used the meeting to demonstrate the party’s unity, signalling that the government remains firmly in control. The National Conference leadership also decided to intensify its campaign for the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
As part of this strategy, the party’s MPs and MLAs will stage a sit-in protest in Delhi on the first day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. The decision was taken unanimously during the nearly seven-hour-long meeting held at Dachigam National Park in Srinagar on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister shifted the venue of the meeting from his scheduled residence at Gupkar to Dachigam National Park. The move is being viewed by political observers as a response to opposition leaders who had described the gathering as a “floor test” for the government.
The meeting was attended by three National Conference MPs, 41 party MLAs, and six Independent legislators supporting the government. The attendance underscored the government’s numerical strength, with the ruling alliance comfortably above the majority mark in the 90-member Assembly.
The meeting also discussed the demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, an issue that featured prominently in the National Conference’s election manifesto. Several MLAs raised the matter during the deliberations, and the Chief Minister reiterated the party’s commitment to pursuing its political objectives through constitutional and democratic means.
In recent weeks, the BJP and the PDP have questioned the functioning of the Omar Abdullah-led government, while reports of dissatisfaction among some ruling party legislators had fuelled speculation about internal differences within the NC. However, Wednesday’s meeting sought to dispel such perceptions, with the party leadership presenting a united front and reaffirming its support for the Chief Minister.
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