Mehbooba Mufti Slams Omar Abdullah Over Article 370 Remarks, Says People Should Not Be Made to Feel Defeated

Srinagar, July 22: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his reported remarks that the restoration of Article 370 is not possible under the present Union government, saying such statements weaken public confidence and create a “sense of defeat” among the people.Addressing the media, Mehbooba questioned the National Conference (NC) for promising the restoration of Article 370 in its election manifesto while now suggesting that the demand is unrealistic.“To say that Article 370 cannot be restored is like throwing acid—not water—on the hopes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. No leader should make people feel defeated,” she said.The PDP chief reiterated that Articles 370 and 35A must remain central to any future political resolution of the Kashmir issue, asserting that the aspirations of the people extend far beyond the restoration of statehood.Mehbooba accused the National Conference of reducing Jammu and Kashmir’s political agenda to the demand for statehood, while ignoring larger constitutional and political concerns.“When a Chief Minister with such a huge mandate says every issue will be resolved through statehood alone, it is an injustice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.She revealed that she had earlier proposed convening an all-party meeting before launching the campaign for statehood, arguing that a united political strategy would have strengthened Jammu and Kashmir’s collective voice.Accusing the National Conference of “normalising” the constitutional changes introduced in August 2019, Mehbooba said avoiding discussion on Article 370 while focusing only on statehood amounts to accepting those changes.Drawing a sharp analogy, she remarked that demanding only statehood after the abrogation of Article 370 was like “cutting off someone’s legs and then asking them to take back their shoes.”Commenting on the protests in Delhi and the reported detention of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Mehbooba praised the young protesters, saying they had shown that questioning those in power is not a crime in a democracy.She also clarified that the PDP has not yet decided whether it will participate in any future protest involving the BJP.Reaffirming her party’s position, Mehbooba said the PDP would continue to demand the restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A, regardless of whether other political parties choose to move away from their earlier commitments.