Dachigam Conclave: NC Unveils Delhi March for Restoration Statehood, Constitutional Guarantees
CM Omar chairs 9-hour off-site review as party sharpens political strategy on J&K rights
Constitutional guarantees, governance issues, drug menace and constituency concerns dominate marathon deliberations
Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday chaired a nine-hour-long off-site meeting of National Conference legislators, Members of Parliament and five Independent MLAs at Dachigam National Park, where the ruling party decided to intensify its campaign for restoration of statehood and constitutional guarantees for Jammu and Kashmir.
The high-level meeting, originally planned at Omar Abdullah’s Gupkar residence, was later shifted to Dachigam on the outskirts of Srinagar to facilitate uninterrupted discussions away from mobile phone distractions.
Senior NC leader and Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, MP Mian Muhammad Altaf and Shopian MLA Shabir Ahmad Kullay did not attend the deliberations.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, NC chief spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said the party leadership held extensive discussions on issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir and its people, while Omar Abdullah patiently heard every participant during the marathon session.
Sadiq said the meeting unanimously resolved to organise a protest in New Delhi on the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon session to press for restoration of statehood and constitutional safeguards.
“The time has come to seek constitutional guarantees and statehood from New Delhi. We will hold a protest at Jantar Mantar or any other suitable venue on the first day of the Monsoon session,” he said.
Accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, ministers Sakeena Itoo and Javaid Dar, along with advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Sadiq asserted that restoration of statehood remained a legitimate right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Apart from political issues, the meeting also reviewed the growing drug menace, liquor-related concerns, development matters and constituency-specific grievances raised by legislators.
“Strategies were framed to tackle drug abuse and liquor-related concerns, while development works and governance issues were also discussed in detail,” Sadiq said.
Participants in the meeting said the party deliberated extensively on both short-term and long-term political strategies, while emphasising democratic and constitutional means to pursue Jammu and Kashmir’s political aspirations.
“The immediate priority will be democratic protest and political outreach,” one participant said.
The meeting also discussed recent political outreach initiatives, including Rajya Sabha MP Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan’s meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Sources said Omar Abdullah also reviewed constituency-level issues and differences between legislators and ministers during the interaction. He assured party colleagues that he would personally visit every Assembly constituency across Jammu and Kashmir in the coming months.
It was also decided that the next off-site session would be held in Jammu, while similar review meetings would continue periodically in both Jammu and Srinagar every six months.
Earlier in the day, Omar Abdullah wrote on X that the off-site session had been planned in advance to review the government’s performance over the past 19 months.
“We are off for an off-site to spend the day taking stock of the last 19 months — the good, the not so good & everything in between,” the Chief Minister posted.
The Dachigam conclave is being seen as one of the most important internal political exercises undertaken by the National Conference-led government since assuming office, with the party now preparing to carry its statehood campaign to the national stage.
