Omar Abdullah vows to fight revocation of Article 370 regardless of court’s decision

Kashmir: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah reaffirmed his commitment to a political pushback against the revocation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, irrespective of the impending Supreme Court verdict.

Speaking in Kulgam, Abdullah criticized the BJP-led Central government, asserting that the decision to abrogate Article 370 had strained relations between the region and the rest of the country.

The Supreme Court is set to announce its verdict on petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special constitutional privileges to Jammu and Kashmir, along with its complementary Article 35-A.

Abdullah, who led the initial legal challenge, expressed confidence in the continuation of their political fight regardless of the court's decision.

Abdullah underscored the widespread discontent with the August 5, 2019, decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status. The move, orchestrated during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second term, marked a significant shift in the constitutional landscape.

Article 370, embedded in the Constitution since October 17, 1949, allowed the region to draft its own constitution, exempting it from certain provisions.

The contentious case also challenges the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, which resulted in the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The political ramifications of this decision have been a focal point of the National Conference's resistance, with Abdullah emphasizing that the dissatisfaction is not limited to any particular group.

As the nation awaits the Supreme Court's verdict, the political climate in Jammu and Kashmir remains charged, with Omar Abdullah signalling a sustained political struggle beyond the legal outcomes—a sentiment that echoes the enduring complexities surrounding the abrogation of Article 370.