October 31 will remain black day until snatched rights restored: Mehbooba Mufti

Anantnag, Oct 31: People's Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday said that October 31 would continue to be marked as a "black day" in Jammu and Kashmir until the rights of the people are restored.

"Unless and until our snatched rights are returned, ownership of land and resources is restored, peace with dignity is guaranteed and the Kashmir issue resolved, October 31 will remain a black day for us," Mehbooba said.

She was responding to questions from the media about observing October 31 as Union Territory Foundation Day.

Mehbooba accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using Kashmir as a testing laboratory for various experiments, claiming it sends a message to minorities.

"We, as a Muslim-majority region, chose to align with secular India to protect our special status and live with dignity. But the BJP, by stripping us of our identity, resources, and stability, wants to demonstrate to minorities the lengths to which they can go," she said.

She also said that Jammu and Kashmir is the only state since 1947 to have been downgraded to a Union Territory.

"The government elected by the people in Jammu and Kashmir should respect the people's mandate and work to lead them out of the current crisis," PDP President added.