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Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed that it would be inappropriate for the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to participate in protests solely aimed at demanding statehood. Consequently, she declined an invitation from the National Conference to join a demonstration at Jantar Mantar. Mufti emphasized that a genuine and meaningful political process can only commence once fundamental issues are addressed.

Highlighting Article 370 as a central issue, Mufti urged National Conference President Farooq Abdullah in a letter to convene a multi-party meeting. She suggested that the initial step should involve the release of political prisoners and the lifting of bans on socio-political organizations, including Jamaat-e-Islami. In her correspondence, Mufti stated that limiting the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to merely restoring statehood would be a grave injustice and a betrayal.

Mufti warned that uniting solely to restore statehood could be interpreted as justifying the illegal revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status. She described this as a direct endorsement of one of the darkest days in their collective history—August 5. Furthermore, she criticized the demand for statehood without addressing special status as a superficial gesture, reiterating that it merely echoes the BJP's detrimental narrative against Article 370 and risks overshadowing the unconstitutional actions taken on August 5, 2019.

The National Conference is set to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar on July 20, the first day of the parliamentary monsoon session, demanding the restoration of statehood. All legislators and MPs from the National Conference are expected to participate. However, NC MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi mentioned that he has not received an invitation and will not partake in any protest that demands less than the restoration of Article 370. Mufti accused the National Conference of downplaying the constitutional changes made on August 5, 2019, which she considers an emotional issue for Jammu and Kashmir.

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