In response to the Supreme Court’s decision affirming the central government’s abrogation of Article 370, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti emphasized that the ruling is “not God’s verdict.” Mufti, a leader of the PDP, declared that the party will persist in its efforts for the reinstatement of special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Expressing her resilience, Mufti stated, “We don’t have to lose heart. We will continue our struggle. The Supreme Court is not God. The same Supreme Court had earlier said that Article 370 cannot be amended without the recommendation of the constituent assembly. Today, some other judges passed the ruling. We cannot treat it as God’s verdict.”
Mehbooba Mufti affirmed her commitment to the cause, stating, “We do not have to lose hope. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have struggled for several years in which we have suffered losses. They want us to lose hope, accept defeat and sit back at home. This will not happen.”
The PDP leader had previously characterized the verdict as a “death sentence,” not just for Jammu and Kashmir but also for the idea of India. Despite the disappointment, Mufti urged people not to lose hope, emphasizing that the struggle in the region has been a political fight spanning decades.
National Conference Vice-President Omar Abdullah also expressed his disappointment, vowing to continue the struggle. The Supreme Court’s unanimous decision upheld the government’s move to abrogate Article 370, prompting calls for the conduct of elections to the Union Territory’s Assembly by September 30 next year.
The ruling, delivered by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, Bhushan R Gavai, and Surya Kant, endorsed the Union government’s August 2019 decision, describing it as the “culmination of the process of integration” of the erstwhile state into the Union of India.
As the political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir continues to evolve, the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision adds a new chapter to the complex narrative of regional politics.
