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Srinagar: The political debate over Article 370 has intensified in Jammu and Kashmir after Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti questioned Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief AS Dulat’s reported remarks on the 1975 Indira-Sheikh Accord. Mehbooba Mufti raised questions over the interpretation of the historic agreement, claiming that Dulat’s remarks suggested that Article 370 had effectively lost its significance after the accord between then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and National Conference founder Sheikh Abdullah. The PDP chief’s remarks have triggered a fresh political discussion over the constitutional history of Jammu and Kashmir, the role of the 1975 agreement and the legal process through which Article 370 was made inoperative in 2019.
The controversy emerged after remarks attributed to A.S. Dulat, who served as the chief of India’s external intelligence agency R&AW, regarding the political developments surrounding the Indira-Sheikh Accord. The accord, signed in 1975 between Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Abdullah, marked a major political settlement in Jammu and Kashmir. It paved the way for Sheikh Abdullah’s return as the Chief Minister of the state after years of political uncertainty. However, the agreement did not legally remove Article 370 from the Constitution of India. The constitutional provision continued to remain in force for more than four decades until the Centre introduced major constitutional changes in August 2019.
From a constitutional perspective, Article 370 remained part of the Indian Constitution until the issuance of the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 2019. On August 5, 2019, the President of India issued the constitutional order extending all provisions of the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir. This was followed by parliamentary action and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which divided the former state into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Through these constitutional measures, the special provisions under Article 370 were effectively rendered inoperative. Legal experts have maintained that the 1975 Indira-Sheikh Accord was a political agreement and did not serve as a constitutional amendment or formal mechanism to repeal Article 370.
Questioning the political position of the National Conference, Mehbooba Mufti sought clarity from Omar Abdullah over the interpretation of Article 370 and the party’s historical stand on Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
The PDP leader has repeatedly accused the National Conference of shifting focus towards restoration of statehood while not pursuing the demand for restoration of Article 370. The PDP and National Conference, despite being major regional political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, have maintained different positions on issues related to constitutional status, autonomy and the political future of the Union Territory.
Mehbooba Mufti questions Omar Abdullah over comments passed by former R&AW chief AS Dulat on Article 370#MehboobaMufti #Article370 #OmarAbdullah pic.twitter.com/qxdZ4dHDJA
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) August 7, 2026
The latest political exchange comes amid continued debate over Article 370, restoration of statehood and constitutional safeguards for Jammu and Kashmir. For the PDP, restoration of Article 370 remains a central political demand, while several other parties have focused primarily on statehood restoration and democratic rights. The issue continues to remain one of the most sensitive and debated topics in Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape, with legal, constitutional and political arguments shaping the discourse even years after the 2019 changes.
The Indira-Sheikh Accord remains significant because it represented an attempt to resolve political tensions between the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir leadership. However, its legal impact on Article 370 continues to be a matter of political interpretation. While some view the accord as a turning point in Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional journey, the formal legal changes concerning Article 370 came only through the constitutional process initiated by the Centre in 2019. The latest remarks by Mehbooba Mufti have once again brought the historical and constitutional debate surrounding Article 370 back into the spotlight, keeping the issue at the centre of Jammu and Kashmir’s political discourse.
