Mehbooba Mufti Criticizes National Conference Over Focus on Targeting PDP

Meanwhile, on Wednesday (July 22), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti praised the youth-led protests in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. She also took on the ruling party National Conference. She said that if Article 370 cannot be restored, why was it promised in the manifesto. In fact, reacting to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's recent comments, Mehbooba questioned why the National Conference has continued to target the PDP despite having a strong electoral mandate. She further said, "They have 50 MLAs and the post of Chief Minister. I don't know why their focus remains on the PDP. They just want to show that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is limited to restoring statehood." The PDP president said that she had suggested calling an all-party meeting to formulate a joint political strategy on the constitutional and political issues of Jammu and Kashmir. Mehbooba Mufti claimed that the National Conference had no longer questioned the provision.