Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah sits near a police barricade holding a placard that reads “Restore Rights and Dignity of People of J&K” as he is being stopped from getting to Jantar Mantar to protest, demanding the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, outside the Parliament Police Station in New Delhi on Monday, July 20, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Friday (July 24, 2026) demanded that the Centre should introduce and pass a bill on restoration of the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir during the ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament.
“The Centre should honour its repeated commitments on Statehood. It should introduce and pass the Statehood restoration bill during the ongoing session. People of J&K have waited long enough. The restoration of Statehood is not merely a political demand but a constitutional and democratic imperative,” said Mr. Abdullah.
Mr. Abdullah, who served as Chief Minister of J&K three times, said, “The Parliament must seize this opportunity to fulfil the government’s solemn assurances given repeatedly to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and restore their democratic rights and dignity without any further delay.”
Mr. Abdullah’s appeal comes days after he led a protest of his party leaders, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and legislators at Jantar Mantar in Delhi over Statehood and constitutional guarantees.
Meanwhile, Mr. Abdullah commended the Omar Abdullah-led government for its “prompt, compassionate and hands-on” response in tackling the challenges arising out of the recent inclement weather in the Union Territory.
Published – July 25, 2026 04:45 am IST
