Hundreds protest in Delhi demanding statehood for Indian Kashmir

Hundreds of people, led by Indian Kashmir's chief minister, protested in Delhi on Monday, demanding the restoration of statehood for the region. Seven years after it was turned into a federal territory, protesters shouted slogans and staged a demonstration, though police stopped them from proceeding further.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated on X that the protest was "only the beginning of our struggle for statehood, our rights, our dignity and everything that was taken away from us." In August 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked Jammu and Kashmir's partial autonomy, removed its statehood, and divided it into two federal territories: Muslim-majority Kashmir with Hindu-dominated Jammu, and the Buddhist territory of Ladakh.

The government has stated that statehood will be restored at the "appropriate time" but has not provided a deadline. Abdullah and his party, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, advocate for the earliest possible restoration of statehood, aligning with the government's prior promise. However, leaders from Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party suggest the protest aims to distract from perceived governance failures by Abdullah's administration.

India and Pakistan both claim sovereignty over the Muslim-majority Kashmir region, though they only control parts of it. India has frequently accused Pakistan of supporting separatists in Indian Kashmir, a charge Pakistan denies.

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This is only the beginning of our struggle for statehood, our rights, our dignity and everything that was taken away from us.