Mehbooba Mufti demands restoration of Article 370, statehood

New Delhi : Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday demanded restoration of statehood and Article 370 in the Valley, constitutionally and legally.Coming out of the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said that she had told the Prime Minister that Article 370 was abrogated unconstitutionally and without taking the local government into confidence. “It was done illegally. It was a 70-year-old BJP agenda and they fulfilled it,” she said.Mufti added that she conveyed to the Prime Minister that if they wanted to abrogate Article 370, they should have done it keeping people in the loop.Since abrogation of Article 370, there is fear among the people as law enforcement agencies are putting common people behind bars on mere suspicion.She demanded compensation to the people who suffered due to the lockdown after Article 370 abrogation.The former chief minister said that India should also start engagement with Pakistan as they did to stop ceasefire violations. “The government should start talks with Pakistan to initiate business at the borders,” she said.The leaders from Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and stressed on the restoration of the political process in the Valley.The all-party meeting at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg lasted for three and a half hours. It was attended by 14 leaders including veteran politician and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah.