Mufti leads candlelight protest, stages sit in Srinagar
PDP chief demanded reopening of cross-LOC routes, talks with Pakistan
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti led a candlelight protest at the party headquarters in Srinagar to mark the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35-A, announcing she would stay the night at the party office amid fears of detention.
According to Kashmir Media Service, scores of PDP leaders and workers gathered at the party headquarters and attempted to take out a candlelight march towards the city centre. However, police prevented the march, following which Mufti, along with senior party leaders and workers, staged a sit-in outside the party office.
Party workers carrying candles and placards raised slogans demanding the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A and seeking the release of political detainees.
Describing the night of August 4 as “the darkest night” in Kashmir’s history, Mufti alleged that a “conspiracy” was executed on this night in 2019 before Indian Parliament revoked the special status the following day. “This is the darkest night for Jammu and Kashmir. On this night, a conspiracy was hatched and Articles 370 and 35A were taken away. These constitutional provisions were not given to us by Pakistan or China, but by the Constitution of India,” she said.
Announcing her decision to remain at the PDP headquarters overnight, Mufti said she apprehended being confined to her residence or detained before August 5. “I will stay here tonight because there is every possibility that I may be placed under house arrest or detained before tomorrow’s protest. We will not remain silent until there is a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue and the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A. This is about our identity,” she said.
Taking aim at political discourse centred on statehood, she said, “Many people keep talking only about statehood so that people forget everything else. Our struggle is not merely for statehood but for the restoration of our constitutional rights and dignity.
“Questioning the government’s claims of normalcy, Mufti said restrictions continued to affect ordinary civilians. “When a constable dies, why are thousands of people jailed? After every attack, innocent people are detained, houses are demolished and government employees are dismissed. Thousands of our people remain in jail, yet nobody speaks about them,” she said. She reiterated that the abrogation of Article 370 remained unacceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “The people are silent because they are frightened and intimidated. But no Kashmiri can accept the removal of Article 370 because it protects our identity, our land and our jobs. We will continue to fight for it till our last breath,” she said.
Mufti also demanded the reopening of cross-Line of Control trade and travel routes, including the Srinagar–Muzaffarabad road, the release of prisoners, and the resumption of talks with Pakistan to foster a better atmosphere and help strengthen the economy.
During the protest, Mufti alleged that a woman police officer had manhandled her daughter, Iltija Mufti. “If she herself is a woman and laid hands on Iltija’s clothes, then she has made a very serious mistake. We were protesting peacefully,” she alleged.
