“I won’t fight any election until Article 370 is restored. Otherwise, they will say I am doing it for political gains. But my party does not want to leave any democratic space or it will be taken away by other forces. If the party wins, there are other senior leaders. I will not be Chief Minister. I want to send a message to my people that it is not a mere slogan for me,” Mehbooba Mufti told NDTV.
Mufti added: “Before elections, we need Confidence Building Measures as people’s confidence is shaken, they are shattered. They are depressed…you need to reach out to people first, elections can wait.”
“Journalists these days get notices for their reporting, so people can’t report freely. Security forces pick up people for the smallest of things and are harassed”, she further added.