On the 4th anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the region witnessed tensions as former Chief Minister and PDP (People’s Democratic Party) chief, Mehbooba Mufti, along with several other PDP leaders, was placed under house arrest. Mehbooba took to Twitter to express her situation, stating that she and other senior PDP leaders had been subjected to house arrest. She posted pictures of her locked gate, revealing the restrictions imposed upon her.
The house arrest came after what she described as a midnight crackdown, during which many members of her party were allegedly detained illegally in police stations. She accused the Government of India (GOI) of making false claims about normalcy in the region, while their actions reflected a state of paranoia.
Interestingly, amidst these restrictions, the streets of Srinagar were adorned with giant hoardings calling upon Kashmiris to ‘celebrate’ the abrogation of Article 370. This stark contrast between official proclamations and the evident suppression of dissent raised concerns about the real sentiments of the people.
Mehbooba Mufti urged the Hon’ble Supreme Court to take cognizance of these developments, especially during the ongoing hearing on Article 370. She questioned the use of brute force to stifle the actual sentiments of the people, while celebratory hoardings dominated the public spaces.
The situation further escalated as police detained many PDP youth leaders during the night, intensifying the atmosphere of apprehension and restrictions. One of the PDP leaders, Naeem Akhtar, tweeted about the roundup of youth leaders and revealed that guards had been instructed not to let him go out on August 5, the day marking the 4th anniversary of the abrogation.
The events of August 5, 2019, continue to be a contentious issue, as it marked a significant constitutional change when Articles 370 and 35A were scrapped, and the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without a legislature).
The 4th anniversary witnessed a complex situation with political leaders being restricted, dissent being suppressed, and celebrations of the constitutional changes being highlighted in the public space. These developments have added to the ongoing discussions and debates surrounding the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370 and the political situation in the region.
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