Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Dec 29: National Conference (NC) spokesperson Tanveer Sadiq today said that law and order was not under the Government’s control and that it was “common sense” who had stopped open merit students from protesting for the rationalisation of the reservation policy, indirectly pointing to the Lieutenant Governor without naming him.
Speaking on the sidelines of a felicitation programme organised for National Award-winning artisans, Sadiq said students had a democratic right to protest peacefully and should not have been prevented from doing so. “If students wanted to protest peacefully, they should have been allowed. It is common sense,” he said, while criticising the house arrest of political leaders and students.
Referring to restrictions imposed on protests, he said denying students the right to assemble was wrong in a democracy. “Students should have been allowed to protest peacefully. If they were allowed to come to the Chief Minister’s gate earlier, why could they not protest at other places now? If it was right then, how could it be wrong today?” he asked. He added that locking someone up in a democracy was wrong.
Referring to NC MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, Sadiq questioned who had stopped him from protesting. “If Ruhullah Mehdi wanted to protest yesterday but was not allowed, who stopped him-the Government or someone else? We did not have control over law and order. This is common sense,” he said.
Reacting to remarks by the NC president that some leaders were trying to create chaos, Sadiq said the comments were directed at specific individuals. “Whoever he was referring to, people should think for themselves. The daughter says she is locked up while the mother is moving freely. That is who he was talking about,” he said.
Urging the Central Government to address students’ demands, Sadiq said many promises remained unfulfilled. “There are many issues the Centre is sitting on, whether it is special status or statehood. Similarly, students’ files are also pending. They have asked for something from a democratic Government. The time has come for the Government to listen to them and fulfil the promises it has made,” he said.
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