In a warlike mood over Article 370, Farooq Abdullah will meet separatist leaders at his home today.

- Farooq announced to get special status with the help of China

Srinagar on Thursday 15th October 2020

A meeting of separatist leaders of Jammu and Kashmir is to be held today at the residence of former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and former Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah to discuss the issue of fighting for the re-granting of special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The present central government arrested all Kashmiri politicians on August 5, 2019, repealing Article 370 of the Constitution, which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Now, Farooq had announced two days ago that we would give special status to Jammu and Kashmir again with the help of China. Farooq called a meeting of like-minded Kashmiri leaders at his home on Thursday, October 15. PDP's Mehbooba Mufti is also expected to attend the meeting. On August 4, 2019, a public statement called the Gupkar Declaration was issued by all Kashmiri leaders in which the issue of strong opposition to the repeal of Article 370 was the main one.

Now, 14 months later, the meeting of this secret group is to be held at Farooq's house today. Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was released from custody on Tuesday, October 13, before the Supreme Court heard her arrest warrant. Soon after, he met National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah Mehbooba. The two then had a gossip. Now today's meeting was likely to be joined by National Conference, PDP, Congress, Sajjad Lone's People's Conference, PDF, Marxist Party and other separatist groups. However, it was not decided whether Shah Faisal would join as Faisal had earlier announced his resignation from active politics. Only BJP and former minister Altaf Bukhari were against such a meeting. All other Kashmiri leaders were expected to attend the meeting.

It remains to be seen whether the local administration will allow the meeting after the provocative statement made by Mehbooba Mufti after his release from custody. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. today. It has not been announced when it will be completed. However, today's meeting will make it clear in which direction the politics of Jammu and Kashmir is taking a turn.