Srinagar, July 17 -- Opposition parties in J&K, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Conference , and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), which have representation in the assembly, are likely to skip the Jantar Mantar protest scheduled for July 20. While the Handwara MLA Sajjad Lone-led People's Conference (PC) has decided not to attend the National Conference's Jantar Mantar protest, PDP and AIP are yet to declare their decision. Sajjad Lone will be addressing the press in this regard on Friday. NC's MLA from Srinagar, Aga Ruhullah, is also not taking part in the protest claiming the ruling party has put Article 370 on the back burner. The ruling NC, during its recent meeting, decided to take the protest for Jammu and Kashmir statehood to Delhi. The party has planned a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on July 20--first day of Parliament session and has asked its legislators to reach New Delhi on July 19. The PDP, which has four legislators in the assembly, has left the decision to party president Mehbooba Mufti. However, party leaders held a high-level meeting recently where the majority were against joining the NC protest. "The decision whether to participate or not will be taken by party president Mehbooba Mufti," said PDP leader Waheed ur Rahman Para. The AIP, led by jailed MP Er Rashid, has also left the decision to the party leader. However, the majority of AIP leaders are averse to joining the protest. "Er Rashid will take the decision whether our party should be part of the protest," said a senior AIP leader. AIP has one legislator and one MP elected after the 2024 polls. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party, which has one legislator, has decided to back the NC protest. CPI(M) general secretary and legislator Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami is also likely to join the protest along with three other independent legislators. Sources said that besides NC's 42 legislators, six from Congress and 7 to 8 other legislators could be part of the NC's July 20 protest. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is also unlikely to participate in the statehood protest. So far, the NC has not been given permission, but party leaders are hopeful that most INDIA bloc leaders will join the protest. NC president Farooq Abdullah had sent invites to 54 national and J&K political leaders urging them to join the statehood protest. This will be the first major protest for statehood by political leaders of J&K since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019....