People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has reiterated her demand for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, saying her party will continue its constitutional and democratic struggle over Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
Speaking ahead of the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, Mufti said the PDP would continue to fight for what it describes as the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional position, identity and statehood. The Centre revoked the region’s special status on August 5, 2019, and subsequently reorganised the former state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
On Tuesday, Mufti led a candlelight protest at the PDP headquarters in Srinagar ahead of August 5. Party workers and supporters participated in the demonstration, with the PDP reaffirming its opposition to the changes made in 2019.
The PDP has announced peaceful protests at district headquarters across Jammu and Kashmir on August 5. Mufti has said the demonstrations will focus on the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A and a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. She has stressed that the party intends to pursue its objectives through democratic and constitutional means.
The issue remains politically sensitive in Jammu and Kashmir, with regional parties taking different positions on the legacy of August 5, 2019. While the PDP continues to demand restoration of the former constitutional arrangement, the National Conference has focused strongly on the restoration of statehood. National Conference leaders, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, have also raised the issue of restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
Mufti has also criticised suggestions that restoration of Article 370 is no longer possible. She has argued that such statements could create a sense of defeat among people in Jammu and Kashmir and has maintained that Articles 370 and 35A should remain part of any future political resolution of the Kashmir issue.
The PDP’s latest campaign comes as political parties prepare for competing programmes on the seventh anniversary. While the PDP and other opponents of the 2019 decision are observing the day as a reminder of the changes made to Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional position, the BJP is holding programmes highlighting what it describes as the benefits of the abrogation.
With security arrangements tightened across parts of Jammu and Kashmir, August 5 is once again expected to become a major political flashpoint. Mehbooba Mufti’s renewed pledge to seek the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A ensures that the constitutional question will remain at the centre of political debate in the region.
