J&K being punished on Statehood status because people voted NC to power: Omar Abdullah

Days ahead of a proposed protest at Jantar Mantar over Statehood and constitutional rights, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday (July 11, 2026) said the Centre was delaying Statehood status to J&K under the garb of “appropriate time phrase without identifying signs of it” and construing “our patience as weakness”.   

In a show of strength, hundreds of NC workers assembled at Naseem Bagh on the 26th death anniversary of Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah, wife of the party founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah. It’s for the first time since the 1990 that the NC held a massive rally at the graveyard of the party founders. 

Addressing the workers, Mr. Abdullah highlighted his efforts to restore Statehood to J&K and accused the Centre of duplicity. “The BJP is ready to talk to Ladakh on special status under Article 371. It’s the same party that removed Article 370 because it wanted one country and one constitution. Ladakh opted for the path of protest. It seems we are being conveyed that without protest we will not get anything,” said Mr. Abdullah.

Referring to the Supreme Court (SC)-set three steps to restore Statehood — delimitation, Assembly election and Statehood — Mr. Abdullah said,”Delimitation was done only in J&K and Assam with the intention to benefit one party and scuttle democracy. Out of seven seats increased in J&K, six were won by the BJP and only one by the NC. We opted to gulp this poison. But J&K is now being punished on Statehood status because people voted NC to power. Let the BJP leaders in the Parliament or a public rally say that J&K will not get Statehood till the BJP comes to power. But this was not the Centre’s stand before the SC,” said Mr. Abdullah.     

Pointing to the past statements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah where they assured Statehood at “appropriate time” to J&K, Mr. Abdullah said, “Tell us what is appropriate time and what are the signs of it”.

He said the NC chose the path of patience. “However our silence should not be construed as weakness. Do you want to burn this place? Have you not learnt? Let the BJP convey that Statehood is subject to the party’s power in J&K, we will respond accordingly. The Centre needs to ask itself why are we forced to protest at Jantar Mantar on July 20,” said Mr. Abdullah.

The J&K Chief Minister also accused the BJP of offering money and ministerial berth to the NC legislators to bring down the government. “Conscience of our legislators is not on a cheap sale,” said Mr. Abdullah. 

He invited all the J&K parties to join the protest at Jantar Mantar on the first day of the monsoon session of the Parliament. 

He said if the centre wanted the Lok Bhawan to run J&K it should not held elections in J&K in 2024. “People are persecuted, employees dismissed, bulldozers deployed,” said Mr. Abdullah.

On Panchayat and local bodies elections, Mr. Abdullah said they will happen at “appropriate time”.