India News | Farooq Abdullah's March at 90 Was Strongest Symbol of Our Fight for Statehood: JK CM Omar Abdullah
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. "For me and my colleagues, the greatest symbol of yesterday's protest was our President, Dr Farooq Abdullah, at the age of 90, taking his staff in his hand and walking us towards our destination to restore our dignity. I don't think we can show you a more powerful image than this," Omar Abdullah said.
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 21 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday hailed National Conference president Farooq Abdullah's participation in the party's protest in New Delhi, describing the 90-year-old leader's march as the most powerful symbol of the movement to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.
Speaking to media, Omar Abdullah said the protest reflected the National Conference's resolve to continue its campaign for the restoration of the Union Territory's statehood and constitutional rights.
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"For me and my colleagues, the greatest symbol of yesterday's protest was our President, Dr Farooq Abdullah, at the age of 90, taking his staff in his hand and walking us towards our destination to restore our dignity. I don't think we can show you a more powerful image than this," Omar Abdullah said.
He also thanked party workers who travelled to the national capital at their own expense to participate in the demonstration.
"On this occasion, I want to thank all those colleagues who traveled to Delhi on their own. Not a single colleague received any help from the party. We didn't arrange plane or train tickets for them. All those who went did so on their own... I hope that if we have to hold programs like this again, my colleagues will continue to participate," he added.
His remarks came a day after the National Conference staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi demanding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Omar Abdullah had earlier alleged that the Union Government attempted to suppress the demonstration by preventing party leaders from reaching the protest venue.
In a post on X following the protest, the Chief Minister said the movement would continue despite the restrictions. "We were stopped from getting to Jantar Mantar and stopped from protesting peacefully for what is rightfully ours, but we were not silenced. This is only the beginning of our struggle for statehood, our rights, our dignity and everything that was taken away from us," he wrote.
The National Conference has repeatedly urged the Centre to fulfil its commitment to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, a promise it says was made in Parliament and before the Supreme Court. Statehood has remained a key demand of the party since the erstwhile state was reorganised into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)