With no clarity from the Centre the situation remains to be tense in Jammu and Kashmir encouraging rumours and speculations of trifurcation, delimitation and abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A.

Leaders of the state’s political parties met yesterday to discuss the on going tensions and panic inducing announcements. On August 2, the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims were asked to cut short their trip and other tourists were also asked to leave the state citing security reasons.

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PDP president Mehbooba Mufti  landed at the high security Gupkar Road residence of National Conference (NC) president and Parliament member, Farooq Abdullah.

Sources said she told the elder Abdullah that this was a crucial time for the mainstream political parties and they needed to sink their differences for “protection of state’s special status.” According to sources privy to the meeting, Abdullah told Mufti that he was not keeping in good health and therefore would not be able to accompany her to meet Governor Satya Pal Malik.

Sources said Abdullah told Mufti that his son and National Conference Vice President, Omar Abdullah was in Delhi and that he would convene an all-party meeting on Sunday.

Mufti then went to Peoples Conference (PC) Chairman Sajad Lone’s nearby Church Lane residence, where bureaucrat turned politician and Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM) founder Shah Faesal was also present. The three of them, accompanied by some other PDP and PC leaders, went to meet the Governor at the Raj Bhawan.

After a brief discussion, we called on Shri Satyapal Malik ji, Governor J&K & requested him to dispel rumours that’ve caused a sense of panic in the valley. Thankful to Farooq sahab, @sajadlone,@imranrezaansari and @shahfaesal for their time today.

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 2, 2019

Officials said the Governor asked the group to be calm and not listen to rumours. “I will try to get in touch with people in Delhi and then make a statement tomorrow,” Satya Pal Malik is believed to have told the delegation.

President of Peoples Conference Sajad Lone and Jammu & Kashmir People’s Movement Party leader Shah Faesal later said that the Governor had given them assurances, but “those were not enough.”

Top sources in National Conference party said Omar was calling on the Governor to obtain whatever assurance the Raj Bhawan could give him, but neither the leader nor any other mainstream politician expected their meeting with Governor Malik to set the ball rolling in the reverse direction.

In his meeting with the Governor, Abdullah was assured that the current developments have nothing to do with any modification of the constitutional provisions. Malik also said the force movement is to counter heightened threat perception and some rotation.

I have so many questions & not a single answer. I’ve met people today who occupy important positions to do with J&K, not one of them was able to tell me anything and I’ve been CM for 6 years. Imagine the plight of your everyday Kashmiri who doesn’t know what to believe.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 2, 2019

“How can the Governor advise the Centre to reverse what must have been already decided in consultation with him?” said a senior NC leader.