Omar Abdullah says Article 370 abrogation wounds remain unhealed

Marking the seventh anniversary of Article 370's abrogation and Jammu and Kashmir's split into two Union Territories, chief minister Omar Abdullah told reporters in Poonch that the wounds of the abrogation are still there and that the injustices done would be corrected, speaking as he headed to inspect flood-hit areas, the Times of India reported. The BJP marked the 2019 decision, while other major Kashmir parties held protests calling 5 August a black day, security forces stopped attempted marches in Srinagar, and senior National Conference and Congress figures stayed away from their own parties' demonstrations, which focused on demanding restored statehood. The PDP march was led by Iltija Mufti, who said police manhandled her during a protest attempt the previous day. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha called the abrogation a constitutional correction that had dismantled the terror ecosystem and restored equal rights and opportunities. Separately, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti was seen holding the national flag upside down at a candlelight protest, which Abdullah said was likely inadvertent rather than deliberate.