Article 370 Anniversary Rekindles Political Divide in J&K

• August 5 marks seven years since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
• PDP held a candlelight march in Srinagar demanding restoration of Article 370.
• National Conference will observe August 5 as a “Black Day” and renew its statehood demand.
• BJP maintains the 2019 decision strengthened J&K’s integration and helped restore normalcy.

GG News Bureau
Srinagar, 5th Aug: Seven years after the Centre revoked Article 370 and reorganised Jammu and Kashmir, August 5 continues to underline sharp political divisions in the Union Territory, with the BJP marking the anniversary as a milestone in national integration while the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prepare protests against the 2019 decision.

On August 5, 2019, the Centre effectively abrogated provisions of Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The erstwhile state was subsequently reorganised into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

While the BJP celebrates the anniversary as the integration of Jammu and Kashmir into the national mainstream, the ruling Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) observes August 5 as a “Black Day”. The PDP, meanwhile, continues to demand restoration of Article 370.

PDP Holds Candlelight March in Srinagar
On the eve of the seventh anniversary, PDP leaders and workers, led by party president Mehbooba Mufti, held a candlelight march in Srinagar to protest the abrogation of Article 370.

The party claimed that Mufti’s daughter and PDP leader Iltija Mufti was detained during the protest.

“It’s a black night for Jammu and Kashmir. We have come out to protest… We will not remain silent till the time J&K issue is resolved and Article 370 is restored,” Mehbooba Mufti said.

The PDP plans to organise protests across districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

National Conference to Observe ‘Black Day’
The National Conference has also announced protests at its Srinagar headquarters and across districts, describing August 5 as a “Black Day”.

Senior NC leader Rattan Lal Gupta said the protests would mark the party’s opposition to the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional guarantees and the delay in restoring statehood.

In Delhi, National Conference MP Chowdry Ramzan has invited members of the INDIA bloc to join a protest outside Parliament House.

The demand for restoration of statehood has emerged as a major political issue in Jammu and Kashmir. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and NC president Farooq Abdullah recently led a protest in Delhi seeking restoration of J&K’s statehood.

Statehood Remains Key Political Issue
In 2023, the Centre told the Supreme Court that Jammu and Kashmir’s Union Territory status was temporary and that statehood would be restored, though no specific timeline was announced.

Assembly elections were subsequently held in September 2024. After the formation of the government, the first Cabinet meeting chaired by Omar Abdullah passed a resolution seeking restoration of statehood. The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly later passed a resolution seeking restoration of the region’s special status.

The BJP has maintained that the abrogation of Article 370 strengthened Jammu and Kashmir’s integration with the rest of the country and helped improve security and normalcy. The National Conference, however, has cited recent terror attacks to question the Centre’s claims over the security situation.

Seven years after the landmark decision, Article 370, restoration of statehood and Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional status continue to remain at the centre of the region’s political discourse.