August 5 marked the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, with major political parties in Jammu and Kashmir observing the day as “Black Day” and organising protests across the Union Territory.

Article 370, which granted special constitutional status to the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, was revoked through a Presidential Order on August 5, 2019. The move also led to the reorganisation of the state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

While the BJP commemorates the date as a milestone in Jammu and Kashmir’s integration with the rest of the country, regional parties including the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continue to oppose the decision.

PDP stages candlelight protest, demands Article 370 restoration

On the eve of the anniversary, the Peoples Democratic Party, led by Mehbooba Mufti, organised a candlelight march in Srinagar. Party members alleged that Mufti’s daughter, Iltija Mufti, was detained during the protest.

Addressing supporters, Mehbooba Mufti described the occasion as a “black night” for Jammu and Kashmir and said the party would continue its protests until the Jammu and Kashmir issue is resolved and Article 370 is restored.

The PDP has also announced protest programmes across various districts of the Union Territory.

National Conference calls August 5 ‘Black Day’

The ruling National Conference also organised demonstrations at its headquarters in Srinagar and in district units across Jammu and Kashmir.

Senior National Conference leader Rattan Lal Gupta said the party observes August 5 as “Black Day” to protest what it described as the unilateral abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional guarantees. He also criticised the Centre for not restoring statehood despite repeated assurances.

National Conference MP Chowdry Ramzan has invited members of the INDIA bloc to participate in a protest outside Parliament in New Delhi. While several opposition parties have largely remained silent on the Article 370 decision itself, many have supported the demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.

Statehood remains a key political demand

The demand for restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood has remained central to the National Conference’s political campaign.

Recently, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah led a protest in Delhi seeking the restoration of statehood.

The Centre had informed the Supreme Court in 2023 that Jammu and Kashmir’s Union Territory status was temporary and that statehood would be restored after Assembly elections.

Assembly elections were held in September 2024. Following the formation of the government, the Omar Abdullah-led cabinet passed a resolution seeking restoration of statehood. The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly later also passed a resolution calling for the restoration of the region’s special status.

BJP defends 2019 decision

The BJP has consistently maintained that the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir have strengthened national integration, reduced terrorism and improved normalcy in the region.

However, the National Conference has questioned those claims, citing recent terrorist attacks and arguing that security concerns remain.

The future of Ajit Agarkar as the chairman of the BCCI’s senior men’s selection committee is reportedly uncertain, with a media report claiming that the board is considering appointing former India batter VVS Laxman as his successor.

According to the report, Agarkar’s tenure as chief selector was originally scheduled to conclude in June 2026. However, he received a three-month extension from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). While another extension until the end of the 2027 ODI World Cup was reportedly expected, recent developments surrounding Rohit Sharma’s ODI future have complicated the situation.

Rohit Sharma’s ODI future reportedly became a key issue

The report states that discussions over Rohit Sharma’s place in India’s ODI setup have emerged as a major factor in the ongoing developments.

It claims that ahead of India’s three-match ODI series against England, there were indications that the series could mark Rohit’s final appearance in the format. The report further alleges that the Agarkar-led selection committee had discussed with the Gautam Gambhir-led team management the possibility of leaving the veteran batter out of future ODI assignments.

However, the situation reportedly changed after speculation emerged that the third ODI at Lord’s would be Rohit’s last match. Rohit responded with a century in that game, a performance that, according to the report, put both the selectors and team management in a difficult position.

BCCI secretary issues clarification on Rohit’s future

Following the speculation, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia publicly dismissed suggestions that the Lord’s ODI would be Rohit’s final appearance in the format.

“Rohit is a regular member of the Indian ODI team, and he will continue to represent the country as long as he is in the scheme of things. In other words, the Lord’s ODI won’t be his last match,” Saikia told PTI.

The report also claims that some individuals involved in managing the Indian team do not favour Rohit’s participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup, though no official announcement has been made by the BCCI on the matter.

Review meeting yet to take place

According to the report, the BCCI had planned a review meeting after India’s tour of England following the team’s eight defeats in ten matches across the Ireland and England tours.

However, the meeting has reportedly not taken place. The Indian team has since travelled to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series without the scheduled review being held.

As of now, the BCCI has not officially announced any decision regarding Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as chief selector or any appointment of VVS Laxman as his replacement.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rain alert for several parts of north and south India, forecasting continued monsoon activity on Wednesday. A yellow alert has been issued for Delhi-NCR, where the weather office expects a generally cloudy sky accompanied by moderate rainfall during the day.

According to the IMD, Delhi’s maximum temperature is likely to remain around 33 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is expected to be 24 degrees Celsius.

The weather department has also predicted fairly widespread to widespread rainfall over Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab and east Uttar Pradesh from August 4 to August 6. Rainfall activity is expected to continue in the national capital until August 10, providing relief from high temperatures but also raising the possibility of waterlogging and traffic disruptions in some areas.

Monsoon likely to remain active across several states

The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall over multiple regions in both north and south India as the southwest monsoon remains active. Residents in affected areas have been advised to monitor local weather updates and exercise caution during periods of intense rainfall.

Delhi remains under a yellow alert, indicating the possibility of weather-related disruptions while conditions generally remain manageable.

Heavy rainfall disrupts normal life in Himachal Pradesh

Heavy monsoon showers continued to affect daily life in Himachal Pradesh, where infrastructure damage and service disruptions persisted on Tuesday.

According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), 153 roads remained blocked, while 191 power distribution transformers (DTRs) were out of service. In addition, 58 water supply schemes were affected as restoration work continued across the state.

Officials said teams have been deployed to clear roads, restore electricity and repair damaged water infrastructure in the affected districts.

Among the districts, Mandi recorded the highest number of blocked roads with 51, followed by Sirmaur (39), Kullu (36) and Shimla (15).

The number of blocked roads showed a slight improvement from 157 reported earlier on Tuesday, though it remained significantly higher than 109 recorded on Monday evening.

The SEOC also confirmed that no National Highway was blocked as of Tuesday evening.