Mehbooba lauds her MLAs for raising Art 370 issue
Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Nov 19: The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) today alleged that the newly elected Omar-led Government has gone into “silent mode,” attempting to backtrack on core issues and forget Article 370 and 35-A.
Speaking with reporters after a meeting held to felicitate newly elected MLAs and review their performance in the Assembly, PDP senior leader and former Minister Naeem Akhtar accused the Government of failing to address promises made to the people and attempting to “bury” real issues.
“They are not talking about their promises. They have gone into silent mode, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Dr. Farooq Abdullah speaks occasionally, but he is trying to bury the real issues, which the NC has been doing for years,” Akhtar said.
He accused the National Conference (NC) of perpetuating the status quo, citing examples from 1952, 1975, and 1996. Click here to watch video
“They are aiming to repeat the same, but we have decided that we will not allow them to do a trade-off. We will raise the issues, people’s sentiments, and their apprehensions.”
The PDP leader also criticized the Government for its lack of clarity on Article 370, stating that even Congress has claimed that “Article 370 is dead.” “The Deputy Chief Minister has said the resolution doesn’t include Article 370,” he noted.
Akhtar further accused the Government of abandoning its manifesto commitments.
“The Government is backtracking on core issues and forgetting 370 and 35-A,” he said, emphasizing that the PDP will not let the Government escape accountability for its promises.
“They sought votes in the name of Article 370, and until they address it, we will not stay silent.”
When asked about discussions surrounding Article 371, Akhtar stated that the PDP does not support it and remains committed to advocating for Article 370 and 35-A.
“For us, it is about autonomy and Statehood of J&K. It is the centerpiece of the peace architecture in South Asia. They cannot even prevent resource exploitation, let alone address larger issues.”
Waheed ur Rehman Parra, MLA Pulwama and PDP youth leader, criticized the Government for building a narrative around Statehood restoration instead of addressing Article 370.
He accused the Government of “normalizing” the situation by focusing on statehood while ignoring the abrogation of Article 370.
“In today’s meeting, we decided to strive for the revival of politics without fear in Kashmir,” Parra said.
“The normalization the Government is attempting revolves around statehood, not Article 370. Their resolution is full of contradictions, and their actions lack consistency. They are focusing on depoliticizing governance while neglecting critical issues like Kashmir’s political situation, reservations, prisoners, and cases against youth.”
Parra stressed that the PDP would keep “Kashmir politics” at the forefront of its agenda.
“We are not against the NC,” Parra clarified, “but we want them to address the issues they promised in their manifesto. They talk about Article 370 everywhere but pass a statehood resolution in the Cabinet.”
The meeting, attended by senior party leaders, saw PDP President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti lauding the efforts of MLAs such as Rafiq Naik, Mir Mohammad Fayaz, and Waheed ur Rehman Parra.
Mufti congratulated the MLAs for their dedication and acknowledged their role in raising critical issues, particularly the revocation of Articles 370 and 35-A.
“These elections were not just about securing seats but about defending the identity and dignity of Jammu & Kashmir,” she said.
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