Srinagar, Jul 21: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday accused political rivals of questioning the National Conference’s political credibility, asserting that the demand for restoration of Article 370 would remain “meaningless” without the return of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Those raising the slogan of 370 should first tell me — what is the meaning of 370 without a state? What is the meaning of special status without a state?” CM Omar told reporters here, a day after the NC staged a protest in Delhi demanding the restoration of statehood. “Without a state list, all powers are with the Union government. Where is the power-sharing? Where is the autonomy? Those who ridicule us should first answer these uncomfortable questions.”
The Chief Minister’s sharp retort came a day after opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dismissed the NC’s Delhi agitation as a symbolic exercise with limited participation. Abdullah, however, turned the tables on his detractors, accusing them of “hiding behind social media” while refusing to join the street protests.
“We invited everyone who claims to stand with the people of J&K. Not only did they refuse to join, they went out of their way to mock our efforts,” he said. “These are the same people who shed crocodile tears for J&K. Their sympathy vanishes when it’s time to actually show up.”
Dismissing criticism over the protest’s turnout, the NC vice-president emphasised that every participant had come “on their own will”, without the party arranging for tickets, train bogies, or vehicles. “We did not book planes or cars for anyone. They came because they believed in the cause,” he said, in an apparent dig at rival parties’ reliance on orchestrated mobilisation.
CM Omar pointed to the Assembly resolution passed during the NC’s first session — seeking constitutional guarantees for the region’s special status — as evidence that his party had not diluted its ideological core. “That resolution is still alive. It is on the table. But we can talk about it only after the Centre first fulfils its promise of statehood,” he said.
The Chief Minister invoked his father and NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, who at 90 walked alongside workers in the Delhi protest with his walking stick in hand. “He took his stick and walked for us. I don’t think we can show you a more powerful image than this,” Abdullah said, challenging his rivals to match that degree of commitment.
The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister further said the party would soon decide its next move at the organisational level. “This is the beginning, not the end. This was just the trailer — the full film is yet to come,” he asserted, expressing confidence that the Centre would eventually honour its promise.
The NC has warned of escalating its stir if its demands are not met, setting the stage for a prolonged political confrontation with the Union government.
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