‘Not just Statehood’: PDP chief lists conditions for joining NC’s Delhi protest
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir has conditioned its participation in a National Conference-led protest on the inclusion of broader political demands, such as the restoration of Article 370. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti argued that focusing solely on statehood risks legitimizing the 2019 constitutional changes.
Why it matters
This internal friction among opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir reflects the complex political landscape and the ongoing struggle over the region's constitutional status.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the principal Opposition in Jammu and Kashmir, on Saturday indicated that it may skip the National Conference (NC)-led protest demanding Statehood at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on July 20 unless the ruling party includes issues such as restoration of Article 370, release of political prisoners and lifting of the ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami in its agenda.
“Any movement confined solely to the demand for Statehood would amount to legitimising the abrogation of Article 370. 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,” PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said in a letter to NC president Farooq Abdullah.
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