Aug 6, 2025: The majority of major political parties, with the exception of the BJP, demanded the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood on Tuesday, the sixth anniversary of the repeal of Article 370, stating that "democracy should be visible in Kashmir like in the rest of the country." Mainstream parties including the ruling National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) staged protest demonstrations in Srinagar. The Congress held demonstrations in both Srinagar and Jammu, where senior leaders alleged that the “dictatorial policies of the central government” were to blame for the delay in restoring statehood.
However, the BJP celebrated the anniversary in Jammu and Kashmir, claiming that development had only begun in the former state following the revocation of Articles 370 and 35A. The people of Jammu and Kashmir deserved dignity, democracy, and rights, according to NC MLA Salman Sagar. He stated, "We live in a country known for its democracy; that must also reflect in Kashmir." Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, a former minister and NC leader, stated, "Jammu has been at the receiving end." Its vital interests can only be protected under proper statehood. J&K is a diverse and sensitive region, and only a fully independent, democratically elected government can address our people's unique challenges. The PDP claimed that the BJP was given "patronage" to celebrate the day while its leaders were not permitted to hold peaceful protests. “A tale of two Kashmirs. BJP, on the other hand, was given full state patronage and "bandobast" to celebrate this dark day of our collective humiliation and disempowerment, even though we were not permitted to stage even a peaceful protest against the illegal abrogation of Article 370. On X, PDP leader Iltija Mufti stated, "Fake narratives are sacrificing truth." In Srinagar, a large number of police and paramilitary personnel were stationed near party offices. The deployment, according to party representatives, was meant to prevent them from leaving. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said, “August 5 marks a black day not just for Jammu & Kashmir, but for the entire nation. This day, the Constitution was overturned not by outside forces but by a ruthless majority within our democracy. The unlawful removal of J&K's special status was only the beginning of a larger assault on constitutional values, not the end of it. According to the J&K Congress, its leader, Tariq Hamid Karra, was leading a demonstration in Srinagar when he was stopped by a large police force as he marched toward MA Road. The Congress observed the day as a ‘Black Day’, condemning the downgrading of statehood and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.
The party held a demonstration on Tawi Bridge in Jammu in front of the Maharaja Hari Singh statue. Ravinder Sharma, a spokesperson for the party, stated that "even after more than one and a half years, that order has not been implemented" despite referring to the Supreme Court's instructions to the Centre in December 2023 to restore statehood "as soon as possible." In his speech to a gathering in Akhnoor, Sat Sharma, president of the J&K BJP, said that the repeal of Articles 370 and 35A had given every citizen "constitutional unity, equal rights, and dignity."