PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti Demands Restoration of Articles 370 and 35A in Srinagar

People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti led a vocal demonstration in Srinagar on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, vowing to continuously fight for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A on the eve of the seventh anniversary of their abrogation. The high-profile demonstration brought the spotlight back to the disputed region as political figures marked seven years since New Delhi stripped the territory of its semi-autonomous constitutional safeguards on 5 August 2019.

Addressing party workers and supporters gathered in Srinagar, Mufti asserted that the political struggle regarding the constitutional changes remains active. She criticized the unilateral decision made back in 2019 and stated that the regional population has not accepted the revocation. Security personnel were deployed in strength around the protest site to manage the gathering and monitor the situation in the city.

Srinagar Protest Marks Seven Years

The anniversary of the constitutional revocation continues to be a focal point for regional political agitation in Jammu and Kashmir. PDP leaders and supporters used the occasion on 4 August 2026 to register their dissent against the ongoing federal rule and legal framework imposed seven years ago. Mufti emphasized that her party would not abandon its legal and political efforts to regain the unique constitutional identity that was dismantled.

• Date of Protest: Tuesday, 4 August 2026
• Location: Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
• Key Demands: Reinstatement of Article 370 and Article 35A
• Main Organizer: People's Democratic Party (PDP) under Mehbooba Mufti

Background on Article 370 Abrogation

Indian authorities revoked Article 370 and Article 35A on 5 August 2019, dissolving the special legislative privileges previously held by the region. The move split the territory into two federally administered union territories and eliminated local laws that restricted property ownership and employment for non-residents. Since that date, political resistance from regional parties has persisted despite strict security measures and frequent crackdowns on public assemblies.

What to Watch Next

Regional observers will monitor how other political factions in the territory respond to these anniversary statements. Further political rallies, legal challenges in courts, and statements from federal authorities in New Delhi are expected as the debate over the region's governance structure stretches into its eighth year.