Farooq invites BJP, casts wide net for J&K statehood protest
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has invited various political parties, including the BJP and regional rivals, to a protest in New Delhi demanding the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. The protest is scheduled to coincide with the opening of the Parliament's monsoon session.
Why it matters
This initiative represents a rare attempt at cross-party consensus on the sensitive issue of J&K's political status and constitutional rights.
SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah reached across political divides, inviting BJP in J&K, Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Congress and other INDIA bloc politicians to join party’s July 20 protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding restoration of statehood to the Union territory.NC spokesperson Tahir Sayeed said Thursday invitations have gone to 52 political parties and politicians, including YSR Congress Party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao, Shiromani Akali Dal’s Sukhbir Singh Badal, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Uddhav Thackeray and AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal. In J&K, invites have been sent to BJP’s Sat Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mehbooba Mufti, Engineer Rashid, Sajad Lone, Altaf Bukhari and Mirwaiz.“We have invited J&K BJP president as this is our collective fight for J&K. It is not about any political party, it is about the constitutional rights of J&K,” Sayeed said. The protest coincides with opening day of Parliament’s monsoon session.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.
The article neutrally reports on the invitation list and the stated objectives of the protest without taking a side on the statehood issue.
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