Farooq Abdullah calls Jantar Mantar protest to demand full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah has invited 52 opposition leaders, including senior figures from the Congress, BJP, regional parties and Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, to a peaceful demonstration at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20, the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. The protest seeks the restoration of full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, which was turned into two Union Territories after the central government revoked Articles 370 and 35‑A on 5 August 2019.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has publicly backed the demonstration, with party secretary Mohammad Abbas Rather urging all political forces and citizens to unite behind the demand and condemning recent amendments to the Transaction of Business Rules that expanded the Lieutenant Governor’s executive powers. The Supreme Court has directed the centre to restore statehood, but the promise remains unfulfilled.

The call for a protest coincides with heightened tensions in Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir, where reports of a crackdown and humanitarian shortages have drawn attention. Abdullah’s mobilisation aims to press the Indian government for constitutional restoration while highlighting broader democratic and constitutional concerns across the region.