Political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir have expressed their disappointment over the Supreme Court verdict upholding the constitutional validity of Centre’s August 2019 decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 and split the erstwhile state into two Union Territories.

The top court in its ruling held that provisions of Article 370 that gave people of Jammu and Kashmir a significant autonomy were temporary and that there was no maladies in exercise of power under Article 370(3) by President to issue August 2019 order.

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Reacting to judgment, Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the verdict of the Supreme Court is “sad and unfortunate” but we have to accept it.

People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, who also served as Jammu and Kashmir chief minister in alliance with the BJP, said the verdict is the “loss of the idea of India.”

“The people of Jammu and Kashmir are not going to lose hope or give up. Our fight for honour and dignity will continue regardless. This isn’t the end of the road for us. This is the loss of the idea of India” she said in a video message posted on X.

The people of J&K are not going to lose hope or give up. Our fight for honour and dignity will continue regardless. This isn’t the end of the road for us. pic.twitter.com/liRgzK7AT7

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) December 11, 2023

National Conference leader and another former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah said that he was disappointed with the verdict but not disheartened and vowed to continue their struggle.

“Disappointed but not disheartened. The struggle will continue. It took the BJP decades to reach here. We are also prepared for the long haul,” Abdullah wrote on ‘X’ along with a #WeShallOvercome.

Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone said justice yet again eluded the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“The Supreme Court verdict on Article 370 is disappointing. Justice yet again eludes the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370 may have been legally obliterated but will always remain a part of our political aspirations,” Sajad Lone said.

Karan Singh, the son of former Jammu and Kashmir Maharaja Hari Singh and Congress leader, advised people of Jammu and Kashmir to accept the Supreme Court’s decision as there is no point in unnecessarily hitting their head against the wall.

“My sincere advice to a section of people in Jammu and Kashmir who will not be happy with this judgment is that they should accept the inevitable and they should accept the fact that now this has been done and the Supreme Court has upheld the action and therefore there’s no point now unnecessarily hitting their head against the wall,” he said.