Political parties in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are divided over joining the ruling National Conference's proposed protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20, demanding the restoration of statehood.
Following the refusal of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) and the Apni Party to participate in the protest, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also laid down preconditions for joining the National Conference's programme.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said her party was prepared to join the National Conference-led protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20 only if the campaign went beyond the demand for the restoration of statehood and also included the restoration of Article 370, the release of political prisoners, and other constitutional safeguards for Jammu and Kashmir.
In a letter addressed to National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba said the PDP had carefully considered the invitation to participate in the protest but believed that limiting the movement to the demand for statehood alone would fall short of addressing the broader political issues confronting Jammu and Kashmir.
She said the constitutional changes of August 5, 2019, had fundamentally altered Jammu and Kashmir's relationship with the Union and argued that the restoration of statehood alone could not constitute a comprehensive political resolution.
After careful deliberation PDP has decided to join the Jantar Mantar protest only if the restoration of Article 370 & release of political prisoners are at the heart of the agenda.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) July 18, 2026
Participating in a protest that is confined solely to statehood would amount to putting the last… pic.twitter.com/WXrEKuVuHW
Mehbooba maintained that the restoration of Article 370 and the release of political prisoners should remain at the centre of any collective political movement. She said the erosion of Jammu and Kashmir's constitutional identity had led to widespread political alienation and called for a united effort to restore what she described as the region's dignity, rights, and democratic safeguards.
The former chief minister also urged Abdullah to convene an all-party meeting involving regional political parties, civil society organisations, trade bodies, and other stakeholders to formulate a common roadmap for restoring constitutional and democratic rights in Jammu and Kashmir.
Referring to developments following the August 2019 constitutional changes, Mehbooba alleged that arbitrary detentions, the dismissal of government employees, restrictions on the media, the closure of educational institutions, and environmental degradation had deepened public discontent. She said a movement confined solely to the demand for statehood would overlook these broader concerns.
While extending her best wishes for the proposed protest, Mehbooba reiterated that the PDP would participate only if the campaign remained focused on the restoration of Article 370, the release of political prisoners, and the broader political aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The National Conference, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has scheduled a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20 to press for the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The demonstration is expected to be supported by the Congress, with National Conference ministers and legislators set to participate in the dharna demanding the restoration of the Union Territory's statehood following the constitutional changes of 2019.
Lone, Bukhari Already Rule Out Joining NC Protest
Two prominent regional parties from the Kashmir Valley—the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC), led by Sajad Gani Lone, and the Apni Party, headed by Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari—have already announced that they will not join the National Conference's statehood protest in New Delhi on July 20.
While Sajad Lone questioned both the timing and the motive behind the proposed protest, Altaf Bukhari said the National Conference's Jantar Mantar programme "is meant to empower its government, not the people."
JKPC president and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone also questioned the timing and the real purpose behind Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's call for a sit-in at Jantar Mantar.
The Jammu and Kashmir Congress will, however, participate in the protest and also plans to hold district-level demonstrations on July 19, a day ahead of the National Conference's programme.
The principal opposition party, the BJP, has already termed the National Conference's proposed protest at Jantar Mantar a "drama".
