On the fifth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, J&K Congress has declared August 5 as Black Day. In a post on X (Formerly Twitter) Congress has posted,” 5 August Black Day for Jammu and Kashmir. Our Statehood was snatched by the BJP.”

J-K Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma demanded accountability from the BJP, stating, “What was achieved in five years, the BJP should answer to the people, especially Dogras, instead of rubbing salts on their wounds.” He accused the party of celebrating the downgrading of a historic Dogra state and alleged that the move had stripped the people of J&K of their rights, dignity, and identity.

Slamming Congress, Kiren Rijuju replied on X, “Congress Party is calling 5th August as “Black Day” but the whole nation celebrate 5th Aug as an anniversary of historic abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir to make India a nation with One Constitution & One Flag. Under the dynamic leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, many more decisive actions will come to make India a united, strong and fully developed country.”

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), have criticized the BJP and will stage a protest outside the party headquarters over the abrogation of Article 370. 

Heightened Security Measures

On Monday, August 5, marking the fifth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, security forces across Jammu and Kashmir have been placed on high alert. The increased vigilance comes amid concerns of potential threats to the movement of security personnel. The police have issued advisories urging people to observe a “dry day,” which entails no movement of any security convoys.

 Amarnath Yatra Precautions

In response to the security concerns, authorities have also halted the movement of Amarnath Yatra convoys. No fresh batch of pilgrims was allowed to depart from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp towards Kashmir. An officer informed PTI, “The yatra has been halted for the day as a precautionary measure. No fresh batch was allowed from Jammu to Kashmir today.”

BJP To Celebrate

To commemorate the fifth anniversary, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will host an ‘Ekatma Mahatsav’ rally at Bana Singh Stadium in R S Pura. Security has been intensified to ensure law and order during the event. J-K BJP general secretary and former MLC Vibodh Gupta emphasized the significance of the day, stating, “On this vital day five years ago, a historic blunder was corrected and we, the people of Jammu and Kashmir, united completely with the rest of India. We are now able to enjoy all the rights and the liberties and are progressing on the path of development.”