J&K security as protests mark 7th anniversary of Article 370

Security was heightened across Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, as political parties staged protests to mark the seventh anniversary of the revocation of the region's special constitutional status. The day saw demonstrations by opposition groups and a message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailing the 2019 decision as transformative.

Authorities implemented a multilayered security grid, deploying police, army, and Central Reserve Police Force personnel extensively. Vehicle checks and frisking were intensified along major highways, including the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, and security was tightened in border areas and around sensitive locations in Srinagar, such as Lal Chowk. As a precaution, the annual Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage was temporarily suspended for the day.

On August 5, 2019, the central government abrogated Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution, ending the special status of the former state and reorganizing it into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The move has remained a deeply polarizing issue.

Opposition parties, including the National Conference (NC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Communist Party...