Srinagar, Aug. 6: The seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 was marked by protests across Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, with the ruling National Conference (NC) and opposition parties demanding restoration of the region’s special status, while the BJP celebrated the day as a landmark achievement.
Amid heightened security, National Conference leaders staged demonstrations across the Union Territory, carrying placards and reiterating their demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status.
Recalling the events of August 5, 2019, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the party remained committed to reversing the changes brought about by the Centre.
“Seven years, we haven’t forgotten, and we haven’t reconciled, far less accepted our current circumstances. My party and I remain committed to reversing all that was done to J&K that took away our rights and threatens our identity,” Omar Abdullah said.
Read more: Four Years Later, How Post-Abrogated Realities Define ‘Naya Kashmir’
Senior Minister Sakina Itoo led a protest at the party headquarters in Srinagar, while demonstrations were also organised by NC legislators in their respective constituencies. NC legislator Ahsan Pardesi said, “August 5 will always be observed by us as a Black Day.”
Minister Javed Rana said the emotions associated with August 5 remained unchanged despite the passage of time.
“We have neither forgotten nor accepted the circumstances that deprived J&K of its special status and reduced a historic State into a Union Territory. Our commitment has always been about restoring dignity, democratic rights, constitutional guarantees and the trust of our people through lawful and peaceful means,” Rana said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also held district-level protests after alleging that several of its leaders had been placed under house arrest or detained to prevent demonstrations. The party shared videos on social media purportedly showing leaders confined to their homes or police stations.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti described August 5 as “the first step towards erosion of the Constitution by the BJP” and asserted that public aspirations remained unchanged.
“The message is loud and clear: no amount of manufactured normalcy or carefully crafted narratives can erase the aspirations of the people of J&K. Our demand for dignity, justice, and the restoration of Article 370 remains as strong as ever,” she said.
Other regional parties, including the J&K Apni Party, Awami Ittehad Party and J&K Peoples Conference, also registered protests against the Centre’s 2019 decision.
CPI(M) leader and MLA M.Y. Tarigami alleged that the abrogation marked “a systematic assault on the relationship between the Union of India and J&K” and claimed that restrictions on political activity and democratic expression continued seven years later.
In contrast, the BJP celebrated the anniversary, with party leader Ashok Kaul distributing sweets among workers and describing August 5 as “a golden day and not a black day.”
“The Centre ended three decades of militancy and stone pelting. Schools remain open. We celebrate the day,” Kaul said.
