Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said her party is prepared to join the National Conference-led protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20 only if the campaign goes beyond the demand for the restoration of statehood and includes the restoration of Article 370, the release of political prisoners and other constitutional safeguards for Jammu and Kashmir.In a letter addressed to National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba said the PDP had carefully considered the invitation to participate in the protest but believed that limiting the movement solely to statehood would fall short of addressing the larger political issues confronting Jammu and Kashmir.
She said the constitutional changes of August 5, 2019 had fundamentally altered Jammu and Kashmir’s relationship with the Union and argued that the restoration of statehood alone could not constitute a comprehensive political resolution.Mehbooba maintained that the restoration of Article 370 and the release of political prisoners should remain at the centre of any collective political movement. She said the erosion of Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional identity had led to widespread political alienation and called for a united effort to restore what she described as the region’s dignity, rights and democratic safeguards.
The former chief minister also urged Abdullah to convene an all-party meeting involving regional political parties, civil society organisations, trade bodies and other stakeholders to formulate a common roadmap for restoring constitutional and democratic rights in Jammu and Kashmir.
Referring to developments after August 2019, Mehbooba alleged that arbitrary detentions, dismissal of government employees, restrictions on the media, closure of educational institutions and environmental degradation had deepened public discontent. She said a movement confined to the demand for statehood would overlook these broader concerns.While extending her best wishes for the proposed protest, Mehbooba reiterated that the PDP would participate only if the campaign remained focused on the restoration of Article 370, the release of political prisoners and the broader political aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The National Conference, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has scheduled a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20 to press for the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The demonstration is expected to be supported by the Congress party, with National Conference ministers and legislators set to participate in the dharna demanding the restoration of the Union Territory’s statehood following the constitutional changes of 2019.