Delhi Protest Highlights Ongoing Demand for Jammu and Kashmir Statehood

On 20 July 2026, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) staged a demonstration in New Delhi to press the Union Government for the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Hundreds of participants, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and NC president Farooq Abdullah, gathered near the Constitution Club before being blocked by police from reaching Jantar Mantar. The protest coincided with the opening of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. Police deployed barricades and invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita to restrict the gathering.

WIONNational Conference Holds Statehood Protests in Jammu and Delhi – GKTodayNC workers stage protests across Kashmir for statehoodIndia cracks down on Kashmir statehood protests in New DelhiNC Holds Protest in Delhi Seeking Restoration of Jammu Kashmir Statehood

In August 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked Article 370, ending the region’s special status, removing statehood, and splitting the former state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The move was upheld by the Supreme Court in December 2023, which observed that statehood “should be restored at the earliest” but did not set a timetable. The Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has repeatedly said that statehood will be restored at an “appropriate time,” without specifying a deadline.

The Straits Times

• National Conference: Farooq Abdullah (party president), Omar Abdullah (Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir), Surinder Choudhary (Deputy Chief Minister), Hasnain Masoodi (MLA).

NC Holds Protest in Delhi Seeking Restoration of Jammu Kashmir Statehood

• BJP Government: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah.

Farooq Abdullah Leads NC Push for Full Statehood in Delhi

• People’s Democratic Party (PDP): Iltija Mufti (leader) and Mehbooba Mufti (party president), who declined to join the Delhi protest unless it also demanded restoration of Article 370, release of political prisoners, and lifting of the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami.

The Hindu

NC leaders framed the protest as a reminder of promises made in Parliament, before the Supreme Court, and to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Omar Abdullah accused the Centre of forcing the demonstration after two-plus years of unfulfilled assurances. Farooq Abdullah reiterated that the demand for full statehood is “the first priority” before any other political agenda. The BJP dismissed the protest as an attempt to divert attention from alleged governance failures of the NC government in Jammu and Kashmir.

WION‘Centre forced us to Protest in Delhi’: CM Omar Abdullah Says Statehood Restoration is First Priority for Jammu & KashmirOmar Abdullah Says Centre ‘Forced’ NC to Protest in Delhi Over Jammu Kashmir StatehoodNC Holds Protest in Delhi Seeking Restoration of Jammu Kashmir StatehoodHundreds march in Delhi calling for Kashmir statehood

The PDP described the NC protest as “lacklustre and deliberately understated,” arguing that a broader agenda—including restoration of Article 370 and release of political prisoners—was necessary. Mehbooba Mufti’s letter to Farooq Abdullah explained that the party would join only if those additional demands were incorporated, highlighting intra-regional disagreement over the protest’s scope.

The Hindu

• “This is only the beginning of our struggle for statehood, our rights, our dignity and everything that was taken away from us.” — Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister

Express Tribune

• “We are fighting for full statehood, which was promised by the prime minister and the home minister in Parliament, as well as in the Supreme Court, and also to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” — Farooq Abdullah, NC President

The Hindu

• “You promised the people of Jammu and Kashmir that you would restore statehood after the elections.” — Surinder Choudhary, Deputy Chief Minister

The Hindu

• “The promise regarding the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood was made on the floor of Parliament, before the Supreme Court. Yet, for a year and a half, no action has been taken. We exercised patience for a year. We have come here now to address this and the prevailing uncertainty; such uncertainty is not in the interest of the nation or its people. That is the reason for our visit and our protest...” — Hasnain Masoodi, NC MLA

National Conference, others protest in New Delhi, demand J&K statehood

• “Instead of a lacklustre, deliberately understated and soft-pedalled one-day event at a random Delhi club without even a whimper about Article 370, imagine a protest in Jantar Mantar reverberating with slogans for reinstituting Jammu and Kashmir’s Special Status,” — Iltija Mufti, PDP Leader

The Hindu

Sources differ on the size of the gathering: several reports describe “hundreds” of protesters, while others note “thousands” managed to assemble despite police restrictions. No official figure has been released by the Delhi police, leaving the exact attendance unclear. Additionally, while the NC cites promises made in Parliament and before the Supreme Court, the BJP has not publicly detailed the specific commitments it allegedly made, creating a gap in the public record of the promised timeline for statehood restoration.

Omar Abdullah Says Centre ‘Forced’ NC to Protest in Delhi Over Jammu Kashmir Statehood