'Only if...': Mehbooba Mufti on NC's J&K statehood protest invite in Delhi
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has agreed to join a protest led by the National Conference in Delhi, provided the agenda expands beyond statehood to include the restoration of Article 370 and the release of political prisoners. She argued that focusing solely on statehood would legitimize the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing political fragmentation and ideological tensions within Jammu and Kashmir's opposition parties regarding the region's constitutional status.
NEW DELHI: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday agreed to join rival National Conference's (NC) July 20 protest in Delhi seeking statehood for Jammu and Kashmir but on the condition that the agenda also includes other key issues.Mufti demanded that the protest also cover issues such as the restoration of Article 370, release of political prisoners and lifting of the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami."After careful consideration and deliberations with my senior colleagues, I have come to the conclusion that it would not be fit for us to participate in a protest whose raison d'etre is solely and exclusively the demand for statehood," she posted on X while sharing a screenshot of her letter to NC president Farooq Abdullah."Protesting in unison solely for statehood would only legitimise and sanitise the illegal act of revoking Jammu and Kashmir's special status and could be viewed as a direct endorsement of August…
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