On Wednesday, three former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir met — after fourteen months of the abrogation of the region’s deacdes-old special status — after Mehbooba Mufti was released from detention yesterday.
Vice president of National Conference, Omar Abdullah said: “My father and I called on Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba this afternoon to enquire about her well-being after her release from detention. She has kindly accepted Farooq Sahib’s invitation to join a meeting of the Gupkar Declaration signatories tomorrow afternoon.”
Later, Ms. Mufti replied on Twitter: “It was nice of you & Farooq sahab to come home. It gave me courage listening to him. Im sure together we all can change things for the better.”
Ms. Mufti was detained on the intervening night of 4 and 5 August 2019 as New Delhi clamped down in Kashmir and revocked region’s decades-old limited-autonomy. Later, she was slapped with the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA).
In her first address after being released from detention, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said that the decision of abrogation of article-370 had been hurting her heart and soul during every moment of her detention.
Sharing an audio message on her Twitter handle on Tuesday, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir called the day special status was scrapped a “black day.” Ms. Mufti said: “No one among us will forget the humiliation of the day article-370 was abrogated. No one among us can ever forget the robbery and insult of that day.”
Adding that whatever the central government took away that day will have to be earned back, she added that “everything the Delhi Darbar snatched away by unconstitutional and undemocratic means has to be got back, not only that but people of Jammu and Kashmir need to keep struggling for the solution of Jammu and Kashmir which has led to sacrificing of thousands of lives.”
On Tuesday, the government of Jammu and Kashmir released her after 14-month detention in Srinagar.
She further said in her message: “I do agree this path won’t be easy but I believe that our courage and determination will be our companion in walking this path. Today, when I am released I want immediate release of everyone from Jammu and Kashmir who are languishing in various jails of the country.”