National Conference (NC), on Wednesday held a demonstration in Srinagar to protest the 2019 revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s unique constitutional status and the subsequent split of the former state into two Union Territories. The rally centered on demands for the return of the area’s constitutional protections and the reinstatement of full statehood.
The gathering, which convened at the NC’s main party office on August 5, 2026, exactly seven years since Article 370 was nullified, drew senior party figures, elected legislators, and party cadres. Attendees chanted slogans and carried placards urging the government to restore the rights and distinctive status previously held by Jammu and Kashmir.
In comments to the media following the event, senior NC leader and Cabinet Minister Sakina Itoo labeled the date a “day of misfortune” for the region’s residents, contending that their entitlements, statutory assurances, special standing, and statehood were stripped away on that day in 2019. “Everything we had was taken from us on August 5, our rights, our guarantees, our special status, and our statehood. That day remains a calamitous one for all of us,” Itoo asserted.
The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference staged a protest at the party headquarters Nawa-e-Subha under the leadership of General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar on the seventh anniversary of the unilateral abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.
The party’s protest march was… pic.twitter.com/bMasPsygck
— JKNC (@JKNC_) August 5, 2026
She further underscored that the National Conference has steadfastly resisted the constitutional changes enacted in 2019 and intends to keep pressing the matter via peaceful avenues. Itoo also pointed to formal resolutions passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly requesting the revival of special status, in addition to a separate cabinet resolution advocating for the restoration of statehood—which, she noted, has already been forwarded to the Union Government. She concluded by insisting that the entitlements once held by the people of Jammu and Kashmir must be given back.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also condemned the 2019 overhaul. On Tuesday night, PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti spearheaded a candlelight vigil and a sit-in protest outside her party’s headquarters in Srinagar, similarly demanding the return of the region’s special constitutional position.
In anticipation of potential unrest, officials confirmed that security forces had been heavily reinforced throughout Kashmir, with particular attention given to Srinagar and other delicate areas. These precautionary steps were designed to deter unsanctioned gatherings, preserve law and order, and ensure the smooth functioning of everyday civilian life.
On the other side of the political spectrum, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) arranged its own commemorative functions at its central office and across various district headquarters to observe the anniversary. As the Union Territory marks the seventh year since the historic August 5, 2019 decisions, the issue remains a deeply polarizing and central political flashpoint in the region.
