Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday criticised the BJP over its objection to the National Conference's proposed protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
He said the party should explain where the demand for restoration of statehood should be raised, if not in the national capital.
Speaking at the National Conference's "Chalo Delhi" rally in Jammu, Abdullah said, "Should we go to President Trump's White House in America to seek our statehood? If we cannot get justice in our own country's capital, then tell us where we should go."
He added that if protesting at Jantar Mantar and outside Parliament was not acceptable, the BJP should clearly state where the demand for statehood should be raised.
Abdullah also responded to the BJP's criticism of inviting Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to the protest. He said the BJP and sections of the media had described Mirwaiz as a separatist while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had repeatedly claimed that separatism had ended in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Both cannot be true at the same time. Either separatism has ended in Kashmir, as the BJP claims, or the person you call a separatist proves those claims wrong," he said.
The Chief Minister also alleged that the BJP was attempting to split the National Conference through "Operation Lotus".
His remarks came a day after BJP leaders accused him of making false allegations that the party had offered Rs 20 crore to Rs 30 crore to National Conference MLAs to switch sides.
Abdullah further accused the BJP of trying to weaken opposition parties across the country before elections. Referring to what he described as "Operation Lotus", he said that when the BJP failed to come to power through elections, it resorted to "backdoor politics".
He said the National Conference would continue its democratic campaign for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood and urged the Centre to fulfil its commitment to the people of the Union Territory.