Blow To Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP As Senior Leader Resigns Over Party Expulsions; Calls Article 370 ‘Dead Stock’

In a crude awakening for the Mehbooba Mufti led People's Democratic Party (PDP), the party's senior leader Shah Mohammad Tantray has resigned from the primary membership of the party citing unhappiness over "unnecessary expulsions" of leaders for meeting Lt Governor G C Murmu, reports the Economic Times.

He also added that Article 370 had become a "dead stock" as a result of nearly three dozen amendments during the Congress rule.

The party had expelled eight leaders of the party for meeting LG Murmu under the leadership of former senior leader of the PDP Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari. The party had reasoned that the leaders meeting with LG Murmu had violated the will and hurt the sentiments of the people of the UT.

It should be noted that Tantray is not the only leader to tender his resignation from the party's primary membership over the issue as post PDP's expulsion of its leaders, the party had received a blow-back in the form of resignations filed by four senior leaders of the party.

Tendering his resignation, Tantray also said, "Meeting Lt Governor is not a crime...In the present scenario, we have to talk to the Centre and the Lt governor, and raise the demand for restoration of the statehood along with protection to the lands and jobs akin to the constitutional provision available to Himachal Pradesh. It is possible only through dialogue."