As rumours about the revocation of Article 35-A continue to make rounds in Kashmir, former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti Monday reached out to its rival National Conference (NC) to hold an All Party Meeting (APM) to draw a strategy to defend the interests of the State.
Taking to micro-blogging website Twitter, Mehbooba said in light of the recent developments she has requested NC President Farooq Abdullah to convene an APM.
“In light of recent developments that have caused a sense of panic amongst people in J&K, I’ve requested Dr Farooq Abdullah sahab to convene an all party meeting. Need of the hour is to come together & forge a united response. We the people of Kashmir need to stand up as one (sic),” Mehbooba tweeted.
In the past few days, rumours have been ripe in Kashmir about GoI’s preparations to abrogate Article 35-A. Article 35-A protects the demographic status of the Jammu Kashmir in its prescribed constitutional form.
It allows Jammu Kashmir legislature to define permanent residents of the State. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has ordered deployment of 100 additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in Jammu Kashmir to strengthen the Counter Insurgency (CI) grid and maintain law and order situations in the State.
The additional deployment of forces in the State comes a day after National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval’s two-day visit to Kashmir.
In response to Mehbooba’s call for an ‘APM’, NC said before calling other parties to discuss the current situation, it was important to know the actual intentions of GoI with this regard.
NC Vice President and former chief minister Omar Abdullah in a tweet said, “Before calling senior leaders from other parties in J&K to discuss the current situation it’s important to try to understand from the Central Govt about their intentions for the state & also how they see the situation at the moment. This is what @JKNC_ is focused on (sic).”
NC President and Member of Parliament (MP) Farooq Abdullah has sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the current situation in Kashmir.
The party has also given notice to raise the current situation in Kashmir in the Lok Sabha today.
“JKNC HMP’s have given a notice to raise the current situation in Kashmir in the Lok Sabha today and have also sought an appointment with PM Mr. Narendra Modi (sic),” NC’s official twitter handle tweets.
