'Catastrophic consequences': Abdullah, Mufti condemn scrapping of Article 370

A long and tough battle lies ahead, says former IoK CM Omar Abdullah

Former chief ministers of occupied Kashmir, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, on Monday condemned the scrapping of Article 370 – which granted the occupied region a special status within the Indian constitution.

“Government of India’s unilateral and shocking decisions today are a total betrayal that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have reposed in India,” said former chief minister and vice-president of National Conference Omar Abdullah.

Abdullah added that the Indian government resorted to “stealth and deceit” in the run-up to the highly controversial move and to “lay the groundwork for these disastrous decisions”.

"A long and tough battle lies ahead," said the NC leader.

"Today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy. Decision of J&K leadership to reject 2 nation theory in 1947 & align with India has backfired. Unilateral decision of GOI to scrap Article 370 is illegal & unconstitutional which will make India an occupational force in J&K," said Mufti.

Today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy. Decision of J&K leadership to reject 2 nation theory in 1947 & align with India has backfired. Unilateral decision of GOI to scrap Article 370 is illegal & unconstitutional which will make India an occupational force in J&K.

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 5, 2019

She added that the move will have "catastrophic consequences for the subcontinent" and the intentions of the Indian government is clear.

It will have catastrophic consequences for the subcontinent. GOIs intentions are clear. They want the territory of J&K by terrorising it’s people. India has failed Kashmir in keeping its promises.

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 5, 2019

India’s government revoked the special status of occupied Kashmir and rushed through a presidential decree in a bid to fully integrate its only Muslim-majority region with the rest of the country, hours after imposing a major security clampdown in the region.

Home Minister Amit Shah told parliament that the president had signed a decree abolishing Article 370 of the constitution giving special autonomy to the Muslim-majority Himalayan region.

Occupied Kashmir and Ladakh will now be Union Territory with a legislature, said Indian media.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing ruling party had pushed for an end to Kashmir’s special constitutional status, arguing that such laws had hindered its integration with the rest of India.

All phones, internet services and cable networks were snapped at midnight in the region of more than seven million people following days of soaring tensions.

Only residents with a “curfew pass” were allowed on the streets.

Thousands of paramilitary forces and riot police moved in around midnight, blocking roads with barbed wire and placing steel barricades across roads in several parts of Srinagar.

Nearly 80,000 paramilitary forces have been flown into Kashmir in past 10 days, already the world’s most militarised region where India has roughly 500,000 troops.