Rival NC and BJP Protests in Srinagar Over Statehood and Article 370 Promises

Two marches, one city

On September 2, 2026, the ruling National Conference and the opposition BJP staged rival protests in Srinagar, marking one of the first major street demonstrations on governance and constitutional questions since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. The two processions unfolded within kilometres of each other, with police stopping both from reaching their intended destinations.

NC workers assembled near the Gindun Sports Complex in Rajbagh and attempted to march towards the BJP headquarters in Jawahar Nagar as part of a gherao programme. Police halted the procession near Rajbagh Police Station, where barricades had been placed along the route. Some protesters were taken into preventive custody, and heavy security was deployed in Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar and adjoining areas.

NC demands statehood and special status

The National Conference protest was aimed at pressing the BJP-led Centre to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and reinstate the constitutional safeguards revoked on August 5, 2019. NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq told reporters the demonstration was a reminder to the BJP leadership in Delhi that promises made to the people must be fulfilled.

Cabinet Minister Sakina Itoo said the party would continue its peaceful struggle for restoration of special status and statehood, stating that every day would be a day of protest until rights were restored. Chief Minister's advisor Nasir Aslam Wani said the NC had waited two years for key commitments to be fulfilled, including the appointment of an Advocate General and resolution of pending reservation rationalisation.

BJP protest over governance

The BJP held a separate demonstration, marching towards the Civil Secretariat to protest against the NC-led government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. BJP leaders cited failures in job recruitment, the non-conduct of local body polls, alleged corruption and power tariff hikes as the focus of their agitation.

Reports said BJP protesters were allowed to assemble at Lal Chowk and towards Hari Singh High Street. The NC subsequently accused the administration of facilitating the BJP march while obstructing its own workers, a charge the BJP rejected. Similar NC protests seeking statehood restoration were reported in Jammu, where workers marching towards the BJP headquarters at Trikuta Nagar were detained by police.

A widening political confrontation

NC president Farooq Abdullah addressed supporters and accused the Centre of reneging on its statehood promise, noting that even business rules needed to operationalise governance had not been handed over. The parallel protests underscored how statehood restoration and day-to-day governance have become intertwined political battlegrounds in the Union Territory.

The demonstrations came amid continuing tension over the status of Jammu and Kashmir more than six years after its reorganisation. With both parties taking their disputes to the streets rather than confining them to the assembly, the September 2 protests signalled a more confrontational phase in the UT's political contest.