‘Not just Statehood’: PDP chief lists conditions for joining NC’s Delhi protest

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the main opposition in Jammu and Kashmir, said on Saturday that it may skip the National Conference (NC)-led protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20 demanding Statehood if the ruling party does not include issues such as restoration of Article 370, release of political prisoners and lifting of Jamaat-e-Islami ban in its agenda.

In a letter to NC president Farooq Abdullah, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said: “Any move limited to the mere demand for Statehood would amount to legitimizing the abrogation of Article 370. Limiting the political struggle to Statehood reflects the BJP’s narrative by pushing Article 370 to the background and risks whitewashing the illegal and unconstitutional actions of August 5, 2019.”

Thanking the NC for extending the invitation to the PDP, Ms. Mufti said, “The people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to bear the collective humiliation and inhumane treatment meted out after the abrogation of Article 370 and the downgrading of the erstwhile State to the status of a Union Territory.”

‘370. ‘restoration of matter’

He said the constitutional safeguards that formed the basis of Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India were abolished “in one fell swoop”. “Both the PDP and the National Conference had promised the restoration of Article 370 in their 2024 Assembly election manifestos and the overwhelming mandate received by the NC reflected the people’s faith in this promise,” Ms. Mufti said.

“The NC remained a silent spectator to various developments, including the dismissal of government employees, actions against Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliated institutions, arbitrary detentions, restrictions on literature and environmental degradation,” he added.

He urged Mr. Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to convene an all-party meeting, including regional political parties and civil society, to create a common roadmap to address the political and constitutional issues facing Jammu and Kashmir.