Srinagar, July 18 (IANS) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday declined the invitation by National Conference President, Dr Farooq Abdullah to join the statehood restoration protest in New Delhi on July 20.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti declined the National Conference’s invitation to participate in the proposed Jantar Mantar protest seeking the restoration of J&K’s statehood, asserting that any movement confined solely to the demand for statehood would amount to legitimising the abrogation of Article 370.
In a letter addressed to National Conference chief Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti thanked him for the invitation, but said the PDP, after consultations with senior party leaders, had decided not to join the protest as it focussed exclusively on the restoration of statehood.
Mehbooba Mufti argued that limiting the political struggle to statehood echoes the BJP’s narrative by pushing Article 370 into the background and risks “whitewashing the illegal and unconstitutional actions of August 5, 2019.”
Mufti wrote that the people of J&K continue to carry the “collective humiliation and dehumanisation” inflicted after the abrogation of Article 370 and the downgrading of the erstwhile state into a Union Territory.
She said the constitutional guarantees that formed the basis of J&K’s accession to India were removed in a single stroke.
The PDP chief reminded Dr Farooq Abdullah that both the PDP and the National Conference had promised the restoration of Article 370 in their 2024 Assembly election manifestos and said the overwhelming mandate received by the NC reflected the people’s faith in that promise.
Expressing concern, Mufti alleged that the National Conference had gradually reduced the broader political struggle of J&K to the demand for statehood alone, thereby normalising the BJP’s political agenda.
She further criticised the Omar Abdullah-led government, alleging that it had remained a “mute spectator” to several decisions, including the dismissal of government employees, action against Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliated institutions, arbitrary detentions, restrictions on literature, and environmental degradation.
Referring to the unity displayed by Ladakhi leaders in seeking constitutional safeguards, Mufti recalled that she had earlier written to Farooq Abdullah proposing a similar united political initiative among regional parties in J&K. She said that despite her efforts, she had not even received a formal acknowledgement of her letter.
Calling for renewed political unity, Mufti urged Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to convene an all-party meeting involving regional political parties and civil society to formulate a common road map for addressing the political and constitutional issues confronting J&K.
She also called for the release of political prisoners and the lifting of restrictions on socio-political organisations, including Jamaat-e-Islami, saying these issues must form part of any meaningful political engagement.
Concluding her letter, Mufti cautioned that reducing the aspirations of the people of J&K to the demand for statehood alone would be a “grave injustice” and “a betrayal” of their constitutional rights.
She maintained that protesting solely for statehood could be viewed as endorsing the events of August 5, 2019, and urged all regional parties to unite for the restoration of Article 370 instead.
Despite declining participation, Mehbooba Mufti extended her best wishes for the success of the National Conference’s proposed Jantar Mantar protest.
–IANS
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