As the countdown begins for the ruling National Conference's much-publicised Delhi protest demanding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, the party president and former Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has extended invitations to 52 national and regional leaders to join the demonstration.
Dr Farooq Abdullah on Thursday wrote to 52 leaders of national and regional political parties, inviting them to participate in the protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to press for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
As the monsoon session of the Parliament is beginning on July 20, the ruling National Conference has announced to hold a protest on the same day against the delay in the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The invitation letters have been sent to top leaders of the INDIA bloc, non-aligned political parties, as well as regional parties based in Jammu and Kashmir.
In his letter, the NC president described the proposed protest as a "solemn and democratic" demonstration against the "unconscionable delay" in restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Referring to August 5, 2019, when the Union Government abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union Territories, Dr Abdullah said the Centre had assured Parliament that statehood would be restored "at an appropriate time."
"The people of Jammu and Kashmir have remained dignified and patient... We did not take to the streets. We went, instead, to the ballot box," he wrote, adding that the 2024 Assembly elections were conducted peacefully and that an elected government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is now in office.
He said that despite the democratic mandate, statehood continues to remain withheld, with no explanation or timeline being provided by the Centre.
The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference President, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, has reached out to political parties across Jammu & Kashmir and leaders from across the country, inviting them to join our peaceful, democratic protest at Jantar Mantar on the opening day of the Monsoon… pic.twitter.com/rSW7HSvESL
— JKNC (@JKNC_) July 9, 2026
Echoing the party's stand, the National Conference, in a post on its official social media handle, said:
"The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference President, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, has reached out to political parties across Jammu & Kashmir and leaders from across the country, inviting them to join our peaceful, democratic protest at Jantar Mantar on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
This is not about one party, one region, or one people. It is about defending India's federal spirit, upholding the Constitution, and demanding the long-overdue restoration of Jammu & Kashmir's statehood, as repeatedly promised.
We hope every democratic voice across the country will stand united in this collective cause."
In another excerpt from his letter, Dr Abdullah wrote:
"And yet, statehood—that most basic constitutional right, that most elementary unit of self-governance in a federal democracy—remains withheld and elusive. There is no explanation forthcoming. There is no timeline offered. There is only silence. This is not merely a delay. It is an affront to the democratic will of an entire people."
The invitation letters have been sent to prominent INDIA bloc leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party; Mallikarjun Kharge, President of the Indian National Congress; Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha; M.K. Stalin, President of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK); Mamata Banerjee, Chairperson of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC); Akhilesh Yadav, President of the Samajwadi Party; Lalu Prasad Yadav, National President of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD); Sharad Pawar, President of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar); Uddhav Thackeray, Chief of Shiv Sena (UBT); and Arvind Kejriwal, National Convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Among the non-aligned leaders invited are Asaduddin Owaisi, President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM); Sukhbir Singh Badal, President of the Shiromani Akali Dal; Naveen Patnaik, President of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD); and Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, President of the YSR Congress Party.
The National Conference has also invited leaders of almost all major political parties and prominent political figures from Jammu and Kashmir. Notably, the party has extended an invitation to BJP's Jammu and Kashmir president as well.
The invitees from Jammu and Kashmir include Ghulam Nabi Azad, Chairman of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP); Mehbooba Mufti, President of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Sat Paul Sharma, President of the BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit; Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, President of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party; Sajad Gani Lone, President of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference; Tariq Hameed Karra, President of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC); Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, State Secretary of the CPI(M); Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, Chairman of the People's Democratic Front (PDF); and Abdul Rashid Sheikh, founder and chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party (AIP).
The invitation letters have also been sent to Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Moulvi Muhammad Umar Farooq, Chairman of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama (MMU), and Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam, the Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir.
In his letter, Abdullah termed the delay in restoring statehood "unconscionable" and urged political parties across the country to unite in defence of India's federal structure and democratic values. The National Conference has also extended invitations to several non-aligned leaders and prominent political figures from Jammu and Kashmir, including the BJP's J&K president.
