Jammu and Kashmir after Articles 370 and 35a: A look at what happened over the past three weeks
FirstpostKashmir, being the tense, conflict-induced zone that it is today, witnessed a series of events that unfolded over the past three weeks. In a tweet addressed to Malik, Gandhi said he along with a delegation of Opposition leaders would take up his ‘gracious invitation’ to visit Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, but added they don’t need the aircraft. You are a responsible person and you should not speak like this.” A joint Ppposition protest organised by DMK demanding the immediate release of political leaders under preventive detention was held at the Jantar Mantar and party president MK Stalin called the abrogation of Articles 35a and 370 a ‘murder of democracy’. In a continuation of the Gandhi-Malik tiff, the government on Saturday barred several Opposition leaders including the former Congress president from visiting Kashmir to assess the situation created by the massive security crackdown. Mayawati condemned the incident — even though the BSP was one of the first political parties to support the Centre’s decision to abrogate Articles 370 and 35A — saying “Under such circumstances, is this step of the leaders of Congress and other parties going to Kashmir without permission, not giving the Centre and governor of that state an opportunity to do politics?” Mayawati asked, “It would have been appropriate if it was also taken into consideration before going there.” The communication curbs in Kashmir have been eased to some extent and landline telephone services restored in most places across the Valley in view of the improving situation, officials said on Sunday.