Srinagar, Nov 06: Former Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has strongly criticised the resolution passed by the National Conference (NC)-led government in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, calling it a “half-hearted” and “ambivalent” move.
Mehbooba said her party would continue to strive for the complete restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status as it was before the revocation of Article 370 and 35A in August 2019.
Addressing the media persons at the PDP headquarters here, Mufti condemned the language of the resolution, which calls for dialogue on the restoration of Article 370 but fails to explicitly oppose or condemn the 2019 decision. She described the resolution as lacking clarity and decisiveness, saying it only expresses “concern” rather than taking a firm stance on the issue.
“This resolution is an ambivalent move,” Mehbooba said. “Instead of making the restoration of Article 370 negotiable, the House must resolve to restore it and 35A in their original form.” She said the resolution’s tone was not forceful enough and failed to match the gravity of the situation, particularly after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status by the central government.
The former CM claimed her party was the first to raise the demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. She expressed disappointment with the current Chief Minister’s support for a dialogue that does not acknowledge the “humiliation” endured by the people of Jammu and Kashmir following the revocation.
“The endorsement of a dialogue is ironic,” Mehbooba said. “But this resolution fails to explicitly condemn the 2019 decision. It is merely a call for dialogue, with no firm commitment to reversing the damage done by the abrogation of Article 370.”
Mufti said true national unity is rooted in respect for diversity, a principle that Jammu and Kashmir embraced when it acceded to India in 1947. “The region’s special status was integral to maintaining that diversity and should be restored to ensure a lasting sense of justice for the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” she said.
“If the National Conference and the government have taken this step, we welcome it,” she said. “However, it is PDP’s responsibility to ensure that the resolution truly represents the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We cannot settle for anything less than the full restoration of our special status.”
