A group of National Conference MLAs entering the residence of J&K CM Omar Abdullah on June 3, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Imran Nissar
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) chaired a marathon meeting of his legislators in Srinagar “to dissect 19 months of the National Conference (NC) rule” and decided to hold a protest in Delhi during the monsoon session of the Parliament over the demand of Statehood and constitutional guarantees.
“The NC Legislature Party has decided to go to Delhi and protest on the first day of the monsoon session. It is time for our leadership to go to Delhi and talk to the people there. We will press for the restoration of Statehood and constitutional guarantees for Jammu and Kashmir,” said Tanvir Sadiq, NC legislator and spokesman, after a daylong marathon meeting held at Srinagar’s protected forest area of Dachigam.
Mr. Sadiq said the NC leadership, during the meeting, highlighted the need “to intensify efforts for restoration of what was taken away from Jammu and Kashmir after the constitutional changes of 2019,” when the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir was split into two Union Territories and the seven decades of special status was scrapped.
Attended by all 42 NC legislators, the meeting also took stock of the NC-Congress relationship, which soured after the Omar Abdullah government came to power in 2024. The Congress decided against joining the government till Statehood is restored.
“A threadbare discussion on all important issues was held. The relationship of Congress and the government was also discussed. The Chief Minister patiently listened to everyone and all legislators participated in the deliberations,” said Mr. Sadiq.
Varied issues
Mr. Sadiq said a gambit of issues were raised and discussed during the marathon meeting, including development issues, drug abuse, and specific matters related to the regions of Jammu, Kashmir, the Pir Panjal and the Chenab Valley.
On the likely Cabinet expansion with three ministerial berths vacant, Mr. Sadiq said, “It was the prerogative of the Chie Minister. He will take a decision whenever he feels it appropriate”.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Abdullah ferried all the legislators to the off-limit forest destination of Dachigam in Srinagar in special vehicles. “We are off for an off-site to spend the day taking stock of the last 19 months — the good, the not so good and everything in between,” said Mr. Abdullah, in a post on X.
The meeting came in the wake of rumblings within the NC. There is pressure from NC legislators to expand the ministerial berths. Many NC legislators said Srinagar district with eight seats remained unrepresented in the Cabinet. Several NC legislators also unhappy to function under the dual power system, with the Lieutenant Governor wielding significant powers. Many accused Mr. Abdullah of failure to establish the writ of the elected government over the bureaucracy.
The meeting also came at a time when former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti wrote a letter to Mr. Abdullah to “initiate a united front” in Jammu and Kashmir to pressure Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to push for a dialogue with people. However, there has not been any formal response to the letter from Mr. Abdullah yet.
Published – June 03, 2026 02:39 pm IST
