Spirited, peaceful fight for our constitutional rights imperative: Mehbooba to PDP cadre

16 February 2021

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Kupwara, 16 Feb: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday urged the party cardre to put up a spirited struggle for restoration of constitutional rights of the state that were taken away illegally and unconstitutionally on August 5, 2019 while continuing to advocate the resolution of the core issue of J&K through dialogue and reconciliation as envisioned by Party’s late founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.

Addressing the first district level workers convention of the party after her release in the border district of Kupwara, Mehbooba asserted that PDP would use all peaceful, democratic and constitutionally accepted means to fight for restoration of special status & resolution of the issue of j&K underlining that the violent means have never yielded any good.

“We were robbed of our legitimate rights by means of a constitutional fraud and we would fight for their restoration by all peaceful and acceptable means. And in our struggle, we should not lose sight of the fact that not only have violent means not delivered ever but have even delegitimize the struggles that by peaceful means were all genuine and legitimate,” Mehbooba Siad.

Reminding those trying to create a false equivalence of J&K with other states in the union of India, Mehbooba underlined that J&K had not merged but acceded to India with a promised special constitutional status.

“Ours was a special case where in a Muslim majority state acceded to a secular India and not merged with it subject to certain guarantees including a special constitutional status. But New Delhi trampled upon the very special status that formed the foundation of this accession. This was not only illegal and unconstitutional but unethical as well. But we are not ready to accept and normalize this betrayal. We would continue to fight till our rights are restored.” She added.

On the occasion, she also underlined that while the fight for restoration of constitutional rights has gained immediacy, there is no room to lose sight of the larger picture wherein the people of J&K are to be brought out of miseries by resolving the larger political issue of J&K through Dialogue and reconciliation and make J&K a bridge of peace in south Asia.

“While the immediate struggle at hand is about restoration of our constitutional rights, the larger goal remains the resolution of the issue of J&K through dialogue and reconciliation as envisioned by our Late founder Mufti Sahab that forms the very ethos of a political movement called PDP.” She said.

Party Media Head and spokesperson Syed Suhail Bukhari, District President, Kupwara, Muhammad Afzal Wani, Constituency in charge Langate G N Pandipori, senior leader Advocate Khurshid Ahmad, Additional Spokesperson Tahir Sayeed constituency incharge Handwara Sofi Irfan and other senior leaders also addressed the convention.