In an interaction with party leaders, Mufti, a former chief minister of the erstwhile state of J&K, emphasised the critical need to prevent hopelessness from seeping into the hearts and minds of the people.
“In political battles, outcomes may not always align with our aspirations. However, we must not allow hopelessness to prevail. Unity, resilience and solidarity with our people remain our guiding principles,” Mufti said in the meeting.
Mufti is also the vice president of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, a grouping of regional parties formed in October 2020 to strive for the restoration of Article 370 and statehood of J&K.
The PDP leaders deliberated on an array of measures aimed at addressing the challenges faced by the region and its inhabitants. “We are committed to the welfare and aspirations of the people of J&K and we need to navigate through this period with strength and unity,” Mufti said.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s J&K general secretary Ashok Koul said the Supreme Court decision on Article 370 should be accepted by all and the parties should prepare for the assembly and parliamentary elections. He said the apex court has already directed the Election Commission of India to hold assembly election in J&K by September 30, 2024.”We are preparing for elections and BJP is also fully prepared and hopeful of getting more than 50 seats in assembly election whenever it will be conducted,” Koul told media persons.The BJP has been holding public outreach meetings for the past few months in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election next year. “We are reaching out to every section of the society, with a focus on youth and intellectual class. This initiative will be continued in coming months as well,” Koul said.
The BJP leader said he could not comment on the political party which had reservations about the Article 370 verdict pronounced by the Supreme Court. “SC is a democratic institution and BJP has never ever disrespected democratic institutions of the country,” he said.
