Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti on Monday condemned the Modi government’s decision to scrap Article 370, calling it “the darkest day in Indian democracy”. The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister made the remarks on Twitter shortly after the announcement in Parliament.

Mufti’s response

Mufti said the choice made by the state’s leadership in 1947 to reject the two-nation theory and side with India had backfired. She described the Centre’s unilateral step as illegal and unconstitutional and argued that it would turn India into an occupying force in the state.

She warned that the decision would have “catastrophic consequences for the subcontinent”, and accused the Centre of seeking the territory of Jammu and Kashmir by terrorising its people. India, she said, had failed to keep its promises to Kashmir.

According to Mufti, people in the state who had put their trust in Parliament had been let down, while those who had rejected the Constitution and sought a solution through the UN now stood vindicated. She said the move would deepen the alienation felt by Kashmiris.

The announcement

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced in the Rajya Sabha on Monday that the government had decided to repeal Article 370, which grants Jammu and Kashmir special status. The amendment was introduced amid a loud uproar. Opposition parties such as the Congress and the DMK had moved adjournment notices, demanding that the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi explain the political turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir.

What happened next

Parliament ended Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 on 5-6 August 2019, and the state was reorganised into two union territories.

Originally published on 5 August 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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