SRINAGAR: Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah on Monday condemned Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) revocation of the special constitutional status of occupied Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution of India.
The article gave Kashmir its own constitution and decision-making rights for all matters except for defence, communications and foreign affairs.
The law also forbade Indians outside the state from permanently settling, buying land, holding local government jobs and securing education scholarships.
Critics of India’s Hindu nationalist-led government see the move as a bid to dilute the demographics of Muslim-majority Kashmir with Hindu settlers.
President of the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party and former chief minister of IoK Mehbooba Mufti, who was placed under house arrest along with former IoK chief minister Omar Abdullah, tweeted condemning New Delhi’s move.
“Today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy. Decision of Jammu and Kashmir leadership to reject two nation theory in 1947 & align with India has backfired. Unilateral decision of Government of India to scrap Article 370 is illegal & unconstitutional which will make India an occupational force in J&K,” she said in first of many tweets.
“It will have catastrophic consequences for the subcontinent. Government of India’s intentions are clear. They want the territory of J&K by terrorising it’s people. India has failed Kashmir in keeping its promises.
“Already under house arrest & not allowed to have visitors either. Not sure how long I’ll be able to communicate. Is this the India we acceded to?
“GOIs intention is clear & sinister. They want to change demography of the only Muslim majority state in India, disempower Muslims to the extent where they become second class citizens in their own state.
“The way some sections of media & civil society are celebrating these developments with glee is disgusting & disconcerting.
Omar Abdullah, Vice-President of National Conference and former chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir, also issued a statement on the matter.
“Government of India’s unilateral and shocking decisions today are a total betrayal of the trust that the people of Jammu & Kashmir had reposed in India when the State acceded to it in 1947 — the decisions will have far-reaching and dangerous consequences.
“This is an aggression against people of the State as had been warned by an all-parties meeting in Srinagar yesterday.
“GOI has resorted to deceit and stealth in recent weeks to lay the ground for these disastrous decisions. Our darkest apprehensions have unfortunately come true after the GOI and it’s representatives in Jammu and Kashmir lied to us that nothing major was planned.
“The announcement was made after the entire State, particularly the Kashmir Valley, was turned into a garrison. Those of us who gave democratic voice to the people of Jammu & Kashmir, are incarcerated as thousands of armed security personnel have been put on the ground.
“The scrapping of Articles 370 and 35A raise fundamental questions on the state’s accession because that was done on the very terms enunciated in these Articles.
“The decisions are unilateral, illegal and unconstitutional and will be challenged as such by the National Conference . A long and tough battle lies ahead. We are ready for that.”