One Protest Won’t Bring Results, Statehood Fight Will Continue: Omar Abdullah

Ganderbal, July 30: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the campaign for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood would continue, stressing that a single protest or symbolic demonstration cannot deliver the desired outcome.Speaking to reporters after reviewing various developmental works in Ganderbal, his home constituency, Abdullah said the National Conference had taken its statehood campaign to Delhi despite knowing that one protest alone would not lead to immediate results.“We took our protest to Delhi knowing fully well that we would not get anything from the first one. A promise was made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir regarding the restoration of statehood, and that promise remains unfulfilled,” Abdullah said.NC Will Continue Push for J&K StatehoodThe Chief Minister said the National Conference’s statehood campaign was not limited to a single protest or a particular date. He maintained that the party had consistently raised the demand through democratic and institutional platforms.Abdullah said the government had also passed a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, formally conveying the aspirations and mandate of the people to New Delhi.According to him, the NC did not wait for August 5 to raise the issue and has continued to press for statehood through the Assembly and other available democratic forums.“A single protest or symbolic political demonstration will not yield results,” Abdullah said, adding that the party would continue making New Delhi aware of what the people of Jammu and Kashmir want.Omar Abdullah Expresses Concern Over PoK SituationResponding to a question about the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Abdullah expressed concern over reports of violence and civilian casualties.“We are all concerned. We can only hope that peace prevails there as well,” he said.The remarks come amid the NC’s continuing political campaign over the restoration of J&K statehood, an issue that remains central to the party’s agenda.