National Conference leaders held a protest in Delhi demanding restoration of Jammu and Kashmir statehood. The protest matters for UPSC because it sits at the intersection of constitutional status, democratic representation, and Centre-State federal relations in Jammu and Kashmir.

National Conference leaders argued that the delay in restoring statehood is weakening democracy. Speakers at the rally described the delay as an assault on democratic rights and said elected governments in the region are being denied full authority.

Omar Abdullah did not join the protest because a large police deployment surrounded him. He also said the demonstration risked being overshadowed by the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party march to Parliament.

The protest was framed as a response to the repeated postponement of the promise of statehood after the region’s constitutional change. Party leaders and workers participated, showing that the demand remains politically active and not confined to formal statements.

Background and earlier position

Jammu and Kashmir lost its former State status in 2019 and has since functioned as a Union Territory arrangement. Statehood restoration has therefore become a major political demand and a recurring constitutional issue in the region.

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