Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday praised the “unity and courage” of the mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir that released a statement on Saturday, vowing to fight collectively against the revocation of the erstwhile state’s special status. The six parties include the Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference, Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party, and the Congress.
“I appeal to them to stand resolutely behind their demand,” Chidambaram tweeted on Sunday. “Ignore the uninformed criticism of self-styled nationalists who do not read history but try to re-write history.”
The senior Congress leader also questioned how the government will resolve the problems of the Nagas if it is against special provisions. “The Constitution of India contains many examples of Special Provisions for states and asymmetric distribution of power,” he tweeted. “How will the government resolve the Naga issues if it is against making Special Provisions?”
In a statement titled “Gupkar Declaration-II”, the parties described the Centre’s decision to alter the region’s status under Article 370 of the Constitution as “grossly unconstitutional” and a “measure to disempower” people of the former state. The leaders claimed that the Narendra Modi government’s decisions related to the region on August 5 last year had “unrecognisably changed the relationship between Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi”.
On August 5, 2019, the central government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and split the region into two Union Territories. In the run-up to the decision, a huge number of security personnel were deployed in the former state and communication networks were completely snapped.
Almost all of the Kashmir Valley’s political leadership, including three former chief ministers – Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti – were put under house arrest before the August 5 decision. Omar Abdullah was released seven months later on March 24 as the Jammu and Kashmir administration revoked his detention order under the Public Safety Act. Farooq Abdullah was released on March 13 but Mufti remains in detention. Lone was formally released on July 31.
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