Srinagar: Ahead of August 5, the 7th anniversary of Articles 370 and 35 A abrogation, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held a candle light protest this evening challenging all the decisions taken on that day.
Making scathing attacks on the administration, PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti questioned, why are Kashmiris rotting in jails without trials?
“If a terrorist has fled from his home, why demolish the house, what crime has the family committed?”, Mufti said during the protest.
She said that all political parties go to Delhi and agree to speak only about statehood, but PDP compel them to raise larger issues.
“If we remain silent on broader issues, God forbid, the bulldozers will come for us as well,” she said.
Claiming that her father, late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s vision was powerful, she said that today the uprising in PoJK reflects the same situation Kashmiris have endured for years.
“Mufti Sahib had laid out a roadmap — open routes, connect with China, link Kashmir’s roads to Iran. What will we give Generation Z if we fail to provide opportunities? If we give them nothing, they will ask for Azadi; if we deny them dignity, they will look to Pakistan. We must give them employment, respect, and honor so they can live in this country with dignity,” said Mehbooba Mufti.
Advocating talks with Pakistan, she said, Pakistan too faces challenges, but if India and Pakistan sit together, open routes, and speak with dignity, what was taken from us should be returned.
“Land guarantees must remain, job guarantees must remain, and fear of outsiders buying land cheaply should not haunt us,” she said.
While commenting on her party forming government with BJP, Mehbooba said that 14,000 FIRs against youth were withdrawn.
“If you recall, the entire government went to Syed Ali Geelani’s door, but he refused to open it; what more could I do? During my tenure, a ceasefire was announced. Can we even imagine a ceasefire today? They claim terrorism is over; if so, then send the army back to the barracks and trust Kashmiris once”.
Meanwhile, National Conference provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta on Tuesday said his party would observe August 5 as “black day” to mark the “unconstitutional and unilateral” abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional guarantees in 2019, and to register a strong protest against the Centre’s “refusal” to restore statehood.
The Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also announced separate protest demonstrations outside their party headquarters in Jammu to mark the seventh anniversary of the August 5, 2019 developments, when the Centre abrogated J&K’s special status under Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
In a statement issued by the NC headquarters here, Gupta said August 5 remains one of the “darkest days” in the constitutional and democratic history of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The decisions taken on that day stripped the people of their constitutional safeguards and were imposed without their consent, undermining the principles of democracy, federalism and constitutional propriety. The people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to bear the political, constitutional and emotional consequences of those decisions,” he said.
Gupta said while the BJP has repeatedly claimed that the downgrading of the erstwhile state was temporary, its continued reluctance to restore statehood has exposed the “hollowness” of its promises.
“The people were assured that statehood would be restored at the earliest, yet years have passed without any concrete action. Instead of fulfilling its solemn commitment, the Centre has chosen to prolong uncertainty and deny the people their legitimate democratic rights,” he said.
The NC provincial president said the prolonged delay in restoring statehood has deprived Jammu and Kashmir of the constitutional authority and administrative autonomy that every full-fledged state enjoys.
He said governance under a UT framework cannot be a substitute for an elected government vested with full constitutional powers and accountability.
“A democratically elected government cannot function effectively when crucial powers remain outside its domain. This continued arrangement weakens democratic institutions and erodes the spirit of representative governance,” he said.
Gupta said the overwhelming participation of the people in democratic processes in 2024 assembly elections has once again demonstrated their unwavering faith in democracy, leaving the Centre with no moral or political justification to continue withholding statehood.
He urged the Union government to respect the people’s mandate, honour its repeated commitments made before the nation and the highest constitutional institutions, and immediately initiate the process for restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s full statehood.
Reiterating the NC’s unwavering stand, Gupta said the party will continue its peaceful and democratic struggle for the restoration of statehood and the constitutional rights and dignity of the people.
He said the observance of August 5 as “black day” is a reminder that the aspirations of the people cannot be suppressed indefinitely and that the demand for justice, democracy and constitutional restoration will continue to resonate until fulfilled.
Chief Media Coordinator, J&K Pradesh Congress Committee, Neeraj Gupta said his party is organizing a protest demonstration outside party headquarters at Shaheedi Chowk in Jammu on Wednesday and press for restoration of statehood along with constitutional guarantees for land, jobs and natural resources.
He said the party is also observing August 5 as “black day”.
PDP additional spokesperson Rajat Randhawa said the activists of the party will hold a peaceful protest demonstration outside Gandhi Nagar party office to mark August 5 as “black day” and press for restoration of Article 370.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday also directed all party office bearers to ensure participation in district-level protests to be held by it across Jammu and Kashmir to mark the seventh anniversary of abrogation of Article 370, party said in Srinagar.
The protests will be held on August 5, demanding the restoration of Article 370 and release of political prisoners, the party said.
The decision was taken at a PDP meeting chaired by Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday.
“As decided by the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti during today’s meeting with senior party leaders, MLAs, district presidents of parent, women and youth wings …. all party functionaries are hereby directed to ensure active participation in the district level protests across Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 in support of restoration of Article 370,” the party said in a release.
Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was abrogated in 2019.
No gathering without permission allowed: JK Police
Ahead of the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on Wednesday, Jammu and Kashmir Police has issued a public advisory banning all unauthorised protests or processions, and warned of strict action in case of any violation.
The advisory, issued by various district police headquarters, comes in view of a protest call given by the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP.
“The general public is informed that no protest, rally, procession, demonstration or any other public gathering shall be held without prior permission from the competent authority,” police said in the advisory.
They warned that any violation of the prescribed legal provisions shall be dealt with strictly in accordance with law.
Police said comprehensive security arrangements have been put in place to maintain peace, public order and public safety.
They appealed to all citizens to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, maintain peace and communal harmony, refrain from spreading rumours or unverified information, and immediately report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station. (PTI)
Security beefed up ahead of Aug 5
Security has been intensified across the Jammu region, particularly along the Jammu-Srinagar and Jammu-Pathankot national highways, as the National Conference (NC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress have announced separate protests to observe August 5 as ‘Black Day’.
August 5 marks the seventh anniversary of the Centre’s decision to abrogate the special status of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state under Article 370 and reorganise it into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Police, the Army and the CRPF have stepped up security arrangements by increasing vehicle checking, frisking and surveillance at sensitive locations across the region, officials said.
Special checkpoints have been placed on high alert along the Jammu-Srinagar and Jammu-Pathankot highways, with security personnel conducting searches of vehicles and verifying the identity of commuters, they said.
Security has also been strengthened in border areas, where patrolling and area domination exercises have been intensified as a precautionary measure, the officials said, adding that additional deployments have been made at “vulnerable locations”.
