Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti Raise Alarm Over Kashmir Statehood, Book Bans at INDIA Bloc Meet

SRINAGAR: In the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc hosted by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, senior Kashmiri leaders Dr Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti voiced serious concerns over the denial of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and the recent ban on books in the region, calling both unconstitutional and deeply damaging to democratic norms.

According to a report by The Times of India, the informal gathering took place at Gandhi’s residence and drew nearly 50 leaders from 25 opposition parties. The central focus was a detailed presentation by Rahul Gandhi accusing the Election Commission (EC) of colluding with the BJP in a “huge criminal fraud” during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar. Gandhi alleged that over one lakh votes had been “stolen” in Karnataka through five different methods of electoral manipulation, describing the act of vote chori as “an atom bomb on our democracy”.

Dr Farooq Abdullah, president of the National Conference (NC), used the platform to raise the issue of Jammu and Kashmir’s unfulfilled demand for statehood. “The Centre is yet to fulfil its promise. The people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve the democratic dignity that full statehood guarantees,” Abdullah stated.

He also condemned the recent banning of several books in the Union Territory. “This is unconstitutional. Banning books and suppressing intellectual voices sets a dangerous precedent,” he said, as quoted by The Times of India.

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti echoed his sentiments, emphasising that the Centre’s continued silence on Kashmiri demands has alienated the region’s youth. “There is growing disillusionment. Democratic rights cannot be selectively applied. The ban on books and the silence on statehood only deepen mistrust,” she reportedly said.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi described the discussions as “positive”, noting that the SIR exercise and Gandhi’s revelations were central themes. “The way opposition parties have been united in Parliament in national interest, the same unity was visible in the meeting as well,” Gogoi told the media.

Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary D Raja added, “Today’s meeting was very meaningful. The issue was the ongoing controversy around the SIR and how the Election Commission has been functioning, especially in regard to enrollment and voter identity.”

Prominent attendees included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT), Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), Kamal Haasan (MNM), Dipankar Bhattacharya (CPI-ML), M A Baby (CPI-M), and Tiruchi Siva (DMK). Chief Ministers Siddaramaiah (Karnataka), Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh), and Revanth Reddy (Telangana) were also in attendance.

The opposition bloc is now planning a protest march to the Election Commission’s headquarters in Delhi in the coming days, aimed at pressing for electoral transparency and accountability. Several leaders have warned that the SIR exercise, if unchecked, could lead to mass disenfranchisement.