Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah on July 12 questioned the normalcy narrative of the government.
“The latest affidavit submitted by the government to the Supreme Court only vindicated our [PDP] stand that the BJP had no legal grounds to abrogate Article 370. The act was carried out by trampling the Constitution,” Ms. Mufti told the media in Srinagar.
She also questioned the normalcy narrative portrayed in the latest affidavit and accused the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor’s administration of hosting Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud and around 200 judges recently in Srinagar “to influence their perceptions”.
“The CJI was hosted in J&K recently to portray the silence of graveyards as normalcy. However, I have faith in the integrity of the CJI. He must have gauged the real situation. I hope the SC’s verdict will take into consideration the sentiments of locals and not use the collective conscience as an alibi to pass a judgment, as was done in the past. Article 370 is the identity of J&K and provides protection to identities like Kashmiri, Dogri and Buddhists etc.,” Ms. Mufti said.
Mehbooba hope for ‘favourable verdict’
Ms. Mufti expressed hope for a “favourable verdict”. “The previous court judgments have already made it clear that the Constituent Assembly of J&K only could have recommended the abrogation of Article 370, which was not the case,” she said.
She added that the Centre was introducing and changing laws frequently in Jammu and Kashmir despite the Article 370 case being sub-judice.
Ms. Mufti said the frequent raids of the National Investigation Agency, Special Investigation Unit, Special Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate etc. in J&K only “reflects the real normalcy”.
‘Open jail’
“A goonda terrorising the inmates of a house and portraying their silence as normalcy is not the true picture. The fact is that hundreds of locals remain in jails. Journalists are booked under the UAPA for showing the ground situation. Kashmir is an open jail,” Ms. Mufti said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Abdullah also targeted the government narrative of normalcy in Kashmir. “When Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha moves in Srinagar, everything is brought to a halt for 15 minutes. Parents and siblings out to pick the students from schools are asked to vacate the roads. It’s a necessity because the situation is not normal. I challenge the L-G to move around in Srinagar without the security entourage, if it’s that normal. Why such a tight security cover when everything is normal?” he said.
