SRINAGAR: As Congress launched protests in Delhi on Tuesday for restoration of J&K’s statehood, chief minister Omar Abdullah voiced displeasure at not being consulted or informed by its INDIA bloc ally.“Let them talk to us first. We only read about these things (protests) in newspapers. No one reached out to us. Even during the recent INDIA bloc meeting (July 19), there was no mention of these things. Had they informed us, we would have joined,” Omar said when asked if NC would back Congress’s agitation.Omar’s statements mirrored “quiet frustration” within the ranks of his National Conference (NC) over Congress’s “sudden interest” in the issue, with some fearing such protests could delay statehood as the Narendra Modi-led NDA govt at the Centre would not want to be seen buckling under opposition pressure.Omar pointed out that statehood restoration had been a long-standing demand of his govt and his party. “We passed a resolution for it in the very first cabinet meeting (Oct 2024) and later in the assembly. It is good that Congress is finally remembering this issue after a long time. But if they need our support, they should first talk to us,” Omar said.On July 17, Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Modi demanding statehood restoration by bringing a bill in Parliament’s ongoing monsoon session. Two days later, Congress held protests in Kashmir on the issue.NC sources said they were caught off guard by Congress’s letter to the PM and the subsequent protests. “At a time when we believed the Modi govt was showing some inclination towards restoring statehood, it was prudent for Congress to wait until the end of the monsoon session,” a senior NC functionary said.By jumping the gun, Congress may have politicised a sensitive issue and, possibly, delayed the restoration, NC sources said. “Modi govt is unlikely to give any impression that it is yielding to opposition pressure, even though the restoration of J&K’s statehood is its own commitment. Congress should have taken the CM (Omar) and NC into confidence before writing to the PM or going for the protests,” the NC senior said.