NC’s July 20 protest is not about Statehood, it’s an attempt to revive separatism: Bali Bhagat

Jammu, July 10: Senior BJP leader and former Minister Bali Bhagat on Friday launched a sharp attack on the National Conference (NC) and its Vice President, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, alleging that the party’s proposed July 20 protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar has “nothing to do with restoration of statehood and everything to do with reviving the politics of separatism in Jammu and Kashmir.” Bhagat said the National Conference’s decision to invite Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to the protest has “completely exposed the party’s real agenda.” “If this was genuinely a constitutional movement for restoration of statehood, there was absolutely no reason to invite a separatist leader. By extending an invitation to Mirwaiz, Omar Abdullah has himself revealed that this is not a Statehood Restoration Movement but a Separatism Restoration Movement,” Bhagat alleged. He claimed that the National Conference has always played a “dangerous double game” by projecting itself as a constitutional party while, according to him, repeatedly attempting to legitimise separatist voices. “In Delhi they speak the language of democracy and the Constitution, but in Kashmir they continue to flirt with narratives that have harmed the interests of the people. Omar Abdullah’s politics now stands completely exposed,” he said. Launching a direct attack on the Chief Minister, Bhagat alleged that NC Chief Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah who happens to be Chief Minister repeated advocacy of dialogue with Pakistan, coupled with the invitation to Mirwaiz, reflects a deliberate attempt to revive a separatist narrative that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have overwhelmingly rejected. “Pakistan-sponsored terrorism brought decades of bloodshed, destruction and suffering. The people have chosen peace, democracy and development, not a return to the politics of separatism,” he said. Bhagat said the National Conference was deliberately misleading the people by creating an impression that the Centre had abandoned its commitment on statehood. He pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have repeatedly assured Parliament and the people that Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood would be restored at an appropriate time after the completion of the democratic and security-related processes. “When the country’s highest leadership has already made a clear constitutional commitment, what is the need for this political drama at Jantar Mantar? Instead of respecting the assurance given by the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, the National Conference is trying to manufacture a confrontation for its political survival and divert attention from its governance failures,” Bhagat alleged. He maintained that statehood is a constitutional issue and cannot be linked with separatist politics. “By inviting Mirwaiz, the National Conference has deliberately diluted the constitutional character of the movement and converted it into a platform for divisive politics. Every patriotic citizen should ask why a protest for statehood requires the presence of a separatist leader,” he said. Bhagat asserted that the BJP remains firmly committed to restoring statehood through the constitutional process while safeguarding the unity, sovereignty and integrity of India. “The people of Jammu and Kashmir want peace, development, investment, employment and progress—not shutdowns, separatist politics or Pakistan-sponsored narratives. No political party will be allowed to drag Jammu and Kashmir back into an era that the nation has decisively left behind,” he added.