Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti warned the Centre on Sunday (July 28) against the revocation of Article 35A, saying that any tinkering with the constitutional provision would be akin to setting a powder keg on fire.

While addressing a function in Srinagar to celebrate the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) 20th raising day, Mufti asked party workers to get ready for a big fight to protect Article 35A. The constitutional provision provides special rights and privileges to the state's permanent residents.

"We want to tell the Central government that tinkering with Article 35A will be akin to setting a powder keg on fire," the PDP president said. "If any hand tries to touch Article 35A, not only that hand, but that whole body will be burnt to ashes."

Mufti said they would fight till death any attempt to tinker with the state's special status.

The former chief minister said many attempts would be made to harass the PDP and its leaders. She said New Delhi knew the PDP was the "only party" that "stands like a wall" to protect the state's special status and identity.

On Saturday (July 27), Mufti said that Jammu and Kashmir is a "political problem" which would not be solved by military means, as she criticised the Centre's decision to deploy additional 100 companies of Central Armed police Force (CAPF) to the valley.

Mufti also said the Centre needs to "rethink and overhaul its Kashmir policy."

"Centre's decision to deploy additional 10,000 troops to the valley has created fear psychosis amongst people. There is no dearth of security forces in Kashmir. J&K is a political problem which won't be solved by military means. GOI needs to rethink & overhaul its policy," Mufti wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile former CM of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah has reportedly said that the government of India should wait for the Supreme Court's final verdict on Article 35A and Article 370.

The Centre on Thursday ordered deployment of additional 100 companies of CAPFs "in order to strengthen the CI (counter-insurgency) grid as well as for maintaining law and order situation" in Jammu and Kashmir.