J&K: Protests And Rallies Mark Sixth Anniversary Of Article 370 Revocation
The Congress, under working president Raman Bhalla, staged protests across Jammu, garlanding the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh at Tawi Bridge as part of the “Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq” campaign for statehood restoration: Reports
SRINAGAR: The twin capitals of Srinagar and Jammu and some other parts of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday witnessed a mix of protests and rallies reflecting divergent views on the Centre’s revoking Article 370 and splitting the erstwhile state into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019.
In Srinagar, the ruling National Conference (NC) workers led by their provincial president Showkat Ahmad Mir attempted a protest march from the party’s Nawa-i-Subah headquarters toward city centre Lal Chowk. Raising slogans like “Restore Articles 370 and 35A” and “August 5, 2019, decisions are not acceptable,” the NC leaders and MLAs demanded the restoration of statehood and special status. The police quickly came in their way of the protesters and confined them within the party office after a scuffle in which, a party spokesperson said, MLA Salman Sagar was injured.
Tanvir Sadiq, MLA and NC chief spokesperson and head communications emphasized the party’s rejection of the 2019 decisions as undemocratic, vowing to continue the struggle for the restoration of special status, statehood, and constitutional rights.
He said, “Today’s protest rally was held also to highlight the prolonged delay in restoring statehood. The NC had rejected the undemocratic decisions taken on August 5, 2019 from day one for these were against the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We firmly remain opposed to what was done six years ago and will continue the struggle until the special status and other constitutional and democratic rights snatched from our people on August 5, 2019 are fully restored.”
In Jammu, the NC’s provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta led a protest as the party observed August 5 as a “Black Day.” A rally taken from Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan, the NC’s regional headquarters, was halted by police near Raghunath Mandir. While speaking to reporters, Gupta and other party leaders, including Ajay Kumar Sadhotra and Sheikh Bashir Ahmad, condemned the “unilateral revocation” of constitutional rights of the people of J&K, demanding the reinstatement of Article 370, full statehood, and protections for land and job rights.
The Congress, under working president Raman Bhalla, staged protests across Jammu, garlanding the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh at Tawi Bridge as part of the “Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq” campaign for statehood restoration. Bhalla accused the BJP of undermining democracy, while spokesperson Ravinder Sharma announced a chain hunger strike from August 9 to 21 to press the Centre to restore statehood to J&K.
Peoples Conference leader Sajad Lone and Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari echoed similar sentiments, with Lone calling the day a “brutal reminder of democratic undermining” and Bukhari urging dialogue to restore dignity.
Some other parts of the Jammu region including Rajouri also witnessed protests by Congress workers. In the border town of Rajouri, the police briefly detained Congress MLA Iftikhar Ahmad during a rally attempt.
The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), led by president Mehbooba Mufti, protested outside its Gandhi Nagar office in Jammu but was barred from marching.
Mufti, a former chief minister, in a post on ‘X’, called August 5 a “black day” for India, labeling the abrogation an attack on constitutional values and a precursor to broader democratic erosion.
“On this day, the Constitution was subverted not by foreign hands, but from within, by a brute majority in the heart of our democracy. The unconstitutional abrogation of J&K’s special status was not an end; it was the beginning of a broader assault on constitutional values”. She added, “J&K was turned into a laboratory, its people disempowered, its land dispossessed, its demography targeted. What many saw as a local issue was a warning for all.”
PDP leader Iltija Mufti criticized the authorities for allowing BJP rallies while curbing their peaceful protest, stating, “Truth is being slaughtered at the altar of fake narratives.”
The party claimed that its several senior members were placed under house arrest to prevent them from participating in the protest rallies.
Referring to the BJP being allowed to hold rallies freely in Jammu and Srinagar in favour of the revocation of Article 370 by the Centre, Iltija Mufti wrote on ‘X’, “The tale of two Kashmirs. While we weren’t allowed to stage even a peaceful protest against illegal abrogation of Article 370 BJP on the other hand was given full state patronage & bandobast to celebrate this black day of our collective humiliation & disempowerment. Truth is being slaughtered at the altar of fake narratives.”
BJP organized rallies, including a prominent motorcycle rally, across the Jammu region to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the revocation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of J&K, terming these events as steps toward integrating J&K with rest of the country and fostering development.
In Srinagar, BJP leader Er. Aijaz Hussain led a “Tiranga Rally” from Pantha Chowk to Lal Chowk, with participants raising slogans in support of the government, Prime Minister Narendra Narendra Modi, and national unity. In Ramban’s Banihal area, a similar rally was organized from the BJP’s Mandal office, supervised by Core Committee Member Muhammad Saleem Butt, emphasizing the party’s commitment to the abrogation.
As the BJP described these events as part of the “Ekatma Mahatsav,” highlighting a narrative of unity and progress post-Article 370, the party workers celebrated the day widely.
Meanwhile, the J&K Police marked the day with a “Day of Resolution for Freedom from Corruption” across the Valley. Senior officers led pledge ceremonies at police units in Srinagar, Ganderbal, Budgam, Anantnag, Pulwama, Awantipora, Sopore, and Handwara, reaffirming their commitment to integrity and accountability.
