J&K Statehood Row: Omar Abdullah Invites INDIA Bloc to Join Delhi Protest

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has stepped up his campaign for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, seeking support from opposition parties for a proposed protest in New Delhi during Parliament's upcoming Monsoon Session.

At a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders on Monday, Abdullah urged alliance partners to join the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) in demanding the immediate restoration of statehood. The NC later said Abdullah informed opposition leaders that the party would formally write to each constituent seeking support for the protest.

The National Conference has announced that its legislators will stage a demonstration in the national capital on the first day of the Monsoon Session, pressing the Centre to fulfill its commitment on statehood.

The demand stems from the August 2019 reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir , when the erstwhile state was bifurcated into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Since then, the restoration of statehood has remained a key political issue in the region and a central demand of the NC.

The party's renewed push comes amid growing political pressure over the issue and follows recent discussions between the Centre and groups in Ladakh seeking constitutional safeguards and statehood.

During the meeting, Abdullah also called for greater opposition unity ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections , describing the Congress as the "glue" holding the INDIA alliance together.

The INDIA bloc discussed several national issues and decided to continue coordination during the Monsoon Session. Leaders also agreed to hold meetings every two months, with the next gathering scheduled in Hyderabad in August.