The story's competing narratives, side by side — grouped by stance, with every outlet's origin and affiliation visible.
Mehbooba Mufti / Peoples Democratic PartyIndiaDemanding restoration of Article 370 via protest; emphasizing democratic engagement while facing accusations of justifying militancy.
Mehbooba Mufti announced a Jammu and Kashmir-wide protest on August 5 to demand the restoration of Article 370, framing it as a call for meaningful democratic engagement. However, her statements made earlier at Jantar Mantar triggered backlash from rivals including the National Conference over remarks interpreted as justifying the use of force in Kashmir, prompting the BJP to seek a PDP ban akin to Jamaat-e-Islami.
The HinduThe Times of IndiaThe Hindu
Bharatiya Janata Party / Opposition partiesIndiaDemanding a PDP ban; condemning Mufti's rhetoric and clashing over pellet gun use and justification of militancy.
The BJP, backed by parties including the National Conference, condemned Mehbooba Mufti's remarks and demanded a ban on the PDP on grounds similar to the Jamaat-e-Islami ban, arguing her comments legitimized militant violence and undermined security operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Times of IndiaThe Hindu
Communist Party of India (Marxist)IndiaSelf-critical of over-personalized campaign strategy leading to electoral losses in Kerala.
The CPI(M) central committee released a self-critical review of the 2026 Kerala Assembly election, attributing the Left Democratic Front's loss of initiative to an overly personalized campaign centered on former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rather than collective outreach.
The HinduThe Hindu — Kerala
