6 Years After Article 370: Mehbooba Mufti slams centre over ‘Failed Promises’ in Jammu and Kashmir

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti criticizes the Centre on the abrogation of Article 370, alleging worsening security, lack of development, and broken promises in Jammu and Kashmir, while the government maintains the move brought stability and progress.

New Delhi: On August 5, 2024, India will complete six years since the historic abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Marking this occasion, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has launched a scathing attack on the central government, alleging that none of its 2019 promises have been fulfilled and that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has deteriorated further.

"Promises of improving the situation turned out to be false."

Mehbooba Mufti said that when Article 370 was removed, the central government had claimed that this would bring peace in Kashmir, reduce terrorism, and start a new pace of development.

But according to her, in these 6 years neither terrorism has decreased nor stability has returned to the region. She said, "For the last 6 years, arrests have been made every day in Jammu and Kashmir. People are living in the shadow of fear. The government says that everything is fine, but the reality on the ground is the opposite."

"BJP's policies have increased problems."

Mehbooba termed the policies of the BJP government as aggressive and said that due to these, tension has increased in the whole country. Giving the example of Pakistan, she said that today India has reached a similar situation, where there is conflict and unrest everywhere.

She quipped, "Pakistan's economy is not even one-tenth of our country's, yet we have started walking on the same path." She questioned that if the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has really improved, then why is there still such a strict security system there?

"Investment has not come, nor political stability."

Mehbooba Mufti said that after the removal of Article 370, neither big investment has come to Jammu and Kashmir nor has political stability returned. According to her, this decision has further reduced the trust of the local people in the central government. He said that the policies of BJP have put the country in trouble on both internal and external fronts.

Have the conditions really changed?

It is clear from Mehbooba Mufti's statement that she considers the decision to remove Article 370 to be harmful for Jammu and Kashmir. She says that the promises made by the government have not been fulfilled and there is still unrest and discontent in the Kashmir Valley. However, the central government claims that this decision has created new opportunities for development and security in Kashmir. But leaders like Mehbooba Mufti believe that the reality on the ground is still full of challenges.