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Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti termed the verdict a “defeat of the idea of India”. Another former CM, Omar Abdullah, said that while the verdict was not what he was hoping for, the “political and constitutional fight” would continue. Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone said Article 370 of the Constitution, which was amended in 2019 to revoke J&K’s special status, would “always remain a part of our political aspirations”.
Mufti, the president of the Peoples Democratic Party, said after the verdict: “My dear countrymen, keep courage. Don’t lose hope. Jammu and Kashmir has seen many ups and downs. The Supreme Court decision today is just a stop… Don’t count it as our final destination.”
“This is not our defeat, but a defeat of the idea of India… No decision is final. Even if that is the decision of the Supreme Court, for us, no verdict is final,” she said. Mufti said the political fight “that has been fought for so many decades” would not be left unfinished.
The people of J&K are not going to lose hope or give up. Our fight for honour and dignity will continue regardless. This isn’t the end of the road for us. pic.twitter.com/liRgzK7AT7
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) December 11, 2023
“Today, by calling (Article) 370 temporary, they have weakened this country and strengthened the forces that say that our accession to India is temporary. By calling 370 temporary, you have called our relationship with India temporary, and broken it,” she said in a video.
Asked by The Indian Express if she would participate in state elections if and when they are held, she said, “Why not? In a democracy you fight on all fronts. We will use all the institutions in our fight for the rights of the people.”
Abdullah, who said he was put under house arrest in the morning, also reacted to the verdict: “We respect the Supreme Court and its decision, but from here on, we have other means and we will continue to pursue them. On whether we can take the legal route again, we will study the judgment and ask our lawyers. Other than that, this is a political and constitutional fight, and that will continue.”
“The BJP did not stop its efforts towards achieving what it wanted – it took them more than 70 years to do that. Likewise, we will continue to use every political and constitutional recourse available to us with the hope that at some point in the future, there will be a situation where we could restore our identity and dignity, which was snatched away on August 5, 2019,” he said, while apologising to the people of J&K and Ladakh for “failing to convince” the Supreme Court.
Lone said the verdict was disappointing.
“Article 370 was an emotional bond,” Lone told The Indian Express. “I don’t think it will be erased, and will always remain an aspirational issue. We are entering an ambiguous space and coming to terms with a new normal,” he said.
CPI(M) leader and Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) spokesperson, M Y Tarigami, said the decision would “affect the federal structure of the country”
“We are disappointed in the court’s verdict. To say that J&K did not retain internal sovereignty is brazen injustice. If you pick up the Instrument of Accession and other documents with it, it states clearly that given the special circumstances of J&K, its rights and constitutional guarantees should include sovereignty,” he said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, led by Altaf Bukhari, expressed concern over the verdict and sought guarantees from New Delhi: “It is the responsibility of the central government to come forward and assure the people that they will not be subjected to disempowerment.”
Separatist leader and Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq told The Indian Express that mainstream political parties who “reposed faith” in New Delhi’s promises “must be feeling betrayed” by the verdict.
The Congress party said it welcomed the fact that the Supreme Court asked the Centre to hold elections in J&K. However, on the upholding of the abrogation of special status, J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool Wani said: “We feel aghast at the loss of safeguards in respect to land and jobs that were earlier available to the people of Jammu Kashmir.”
Expressing hope that the INDIA bloc would form the government after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said the Congress would then ensure such safeguards are provided to the people of J&K.
BJP national general secretary and in-charge of party affairs in J&K, Tarun Chugh, said J&K entered a new era of growth and development after 2019, and the government is determined to ensure the fruits of progress reach everyone, including the most vulnerable and marginalised sections of society “who suffered due to Article 370”.
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