Calls for United Political Front to Restore Constitutional Rights; Says Limiting Movement to Statehood Would Undermine J&K’s Larger Constitutional Struggle
Srinagar, July 18 :
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has declined to join the National Conference’s proposed Jantar Mantar protest on the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, saying that any political campaign restricted to the demand for statehood alone would fail to address the larger constitutional issues arising from the August 5, 2019 developments.
In a letter addressed to National Conference President Dr. Farooq Abdullah, a copy of which is available with the news agency KNC, Mehbooba Mufti thanked the NC leadership for the invitation but said the PDP, after extensive consultations with its senior leadership, had unanimously decided not to participate because the proposed protest focuses exclusively on the restoration of statehood.
Mufti maintained that confining the political movement to statehood alone risks pushing the demand for the restoration of Article 370 and other constitutional safeguards into the background. She asserted that such an approach could be interpreted as accepting or legitimising the constitutional changes introduced on August 5, 2019, when Jammu and Kashmir’s special status was revoked and the erstwhile state was reorganised into a Union Territory.
She said the people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to face the consequences of losing the constitutional protections that formed the foundation of the region’s relationship with the Union of India and stressed that these concerns cannot be separated from the ongoing political discourse.
Recalling the 2024 Assembly elections, Mehbooba Mufti noted that both the PDP and the National Conference had pledged in their respective election manifestos to work for the restoration of Article 370. She said the public mandate reflected the people’s expectations that regional political parties would jointly pursue that commitment.
The PDP President expressed concern that the broader political movement has gradually been reduced to a campaign for statehood alone, warning that such a shift diverts attention from the restoration of constitutional rights and safeguards.
Mufti also criticised the Omar Abdullah-led government, alleging that it has remained silent on several important issues affecting Jammu and Kashmir, including the dismissal of government employees, action against Jamaat-e-Islami and its associated institutions, preventive detentions, restrictions on publications, and environmental concerns.
Referring to the collective efforts made by political leaders in Ladakh for constitutional safeguards, Mehbooba Mufti said she had earlier urged Dr. Farooq Abdullah to build a similar united political platform among regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir. However, she expressed disappointment that her earlier proposal did not receive any formal response.
Calling for greater political unity, the PDP chief urged Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to convene an all-party meeting involving regional political parties and representatives of civil society to prepare a common roadmap for addressing Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional and political challenges.
She further called for the release of political prisoners and demanded that restrictions imposed on socio-political organisations, including Jamaat-e-Islami, be lifted, stating that these issues should form an integral part of any comprehensive political dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir.
Concluding her letter, Mehbooba Mufti cautioned that reducing the aspirations of the people to the restoration of statehood alone would ignore the wider constitutional concerns linked to Article 370 and other safeguards. She appealed to all regional political parties to work together for the restoration of constitutional rights while extending her best wishes for the success of the National Conference’s proposed Jantar Mantar protest despite the PDP’s decision not to participate. (KNC)