‘Not just statehood’: PDP chief lists conditions for joining NC protest in Delhi

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the main opposition in Jammu and Kashmir, on Saturday indicated that it may skip the National Conference (NC)-led protest demanding statehood at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20 if the ruling party does not include in its agenda issues like restoration of Article 370, release of political prisoners and lifting of the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami.

“Any movement limited only to the demand for statehood would be tantamount to legitimizing the abrogation of Article 370. Limiting the political struggle to statehood reflects the BJP’s narrative by relegating Article 370 to the background and risks whitewashing the illegal and unconstitutional actions of August 5, 2019,” PDP President Mehdulaho NC said in a letter to PDP President Mehdulahoq.

Thanking the NC for extending the invitation to the PDP, Ms Mufti said, “The people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to bear the collective humiliation and dehumanization caused after the abrogation of Article 370 and the degradation of the erstwhile state in the Union Territory.”

“Renewal under Article 370”

She said the constitutional safeguards that formed the basis of Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India had been removed “in one fell swoop”. “Both the PDP and the National Conference promised the restoration of Article 370 in their 2024 Assembly election manifestos and the overwhelming mandate the NC received reflected the people’s faith in that promise,” Ms Mufti said.

“The NC has remained a mute spectator to several events, including sacking of government employees, action against Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliated institutions, arbitrary detention, restriction of literature and environmental degradation,” she added.

She called upon Mr. Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to convene an all-party meeting involving regional political parties and civil society to formulate a joint plan to address the political and constitutional issues facing Jammu and Kashmir.

Published – 19 Jul 2026 0:56 IST