Abrogation of Art 370
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 4: Peoples Democratic Party, Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) and Apni Party today criticised the decision of August 5, 2019 by BJP Government at Centre and termed it a ‘betrayal day’.
Terming August 5 as a Black Day in the Constitutional and democratic history of the country, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the draconian steps taken on the day in 2019 have not only betrayed the trust of the people but also complicated the issue of J&K further and taken the political process back by decades.
In a statement issued here, today, PDP Chief, Mehbooba Mufti said that August 5 has become a reminder of the subversion of the democratic and Constitutional system of the country and how the trust of the people of J&K and all the democrats of the country was betrayed.
“It is a day when the country was lied to and the highest institutions were misused. The day saw solemn promises being broken and the trust of millions of people being betrayed. On this day, the spirit of Constitutionalism and democratic ethos were undermined as the people of J&K were robbed of their identity and rights,” Mehbooba said.
“All that happened on August 5, 2019 further complicated the issue of J&K and made the road to resolution of the problem more tedious and painful as people in general feel more alienated today. In order to restore peace with dignity in J&K, there is no alternative to dialogue and reconciliation to address internal as well as the external dimensions of the issue of Jammu & Kashmir,” she said.
JKPCC has said that August 5 marks the ‘Day of Struggle’ for the restoration of lost Statehood status and other genuine rights to the people especially for the future generations.
JKPCC chief spokesperson, Ravinder Sharma said that on this day J&K was deprived of its identity as a State and stripped of all other rights especially rights to land and jobs, so it remains the Day of Struggle to achieve our lost identity, status and other genuine rights so that our younger generations avail and enjoy those rights snatched away from them.
Reiterating that restoration of Statehood with protection of genuine rights to land and jobs remain high on the agenda of Congress along with holding of early Assembly elections to provide elected Government in Jammu and Kashmir, JKPCC said that BJP Government should fulfil the genuine demand without delay to create conducive atmosphere for political process and elections.
However, the delaying tactics of the Centre has added to the resentment and anger amongst people who always sided with the country and defeated the designs of anti national and communal forces.
Apni Party president, Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari said that the abrogation of Articles 370 & 35-A did not only snatch the special status of Jammu and Kashmir but also incremented the trust deficit and sense of alienation among the people to an exponential level.
In a statement issued here, Apni Party president said that J&K’s special status was enshrined within Indian Constitution while the unprecedented way it was revoked, did profoundly hurt the sentiments of the people of who continue to feel politically disempowered.
“There exists no substitute to the special status to J&K. But we strongly hope and believe that the Supreme Court of India which is an abode of justice will reciprocate to the people’s collective demand and deliver justice. God forbid, even if the Apex Court’s verdict disregards people’ aspirations, Apni Party will have no choice but to chalk out other peaceful means to pursue this goal with New Delhi,” he observed.
Bukhari said Apni Party will put in constant efforts to get an early hearing in the Supreme Court petition on the subject. “We believe that the solution to the socio-economic and political problems faced by the people in J&K lies with New Delhi so it will be unwise to disengage or dissociate ourselves from pursuing the redressal.”
Bukhari said that by now it must have been explicit to everyone in New Delhi that Article 370 was not an impediment in the way of development of Jammu and Kashmir. “Unfortunately, we have not witnessed any major development taking place in J&K since August 5, 2019 as was projected by the advocates of abrogation of Article 370. Rather, ways of cultural imperialism have been facilitated by the bureaucratic regimes who seem hell-bent to convert our heritage sites into commercial entities like Mubarak Mandi in Jammu,” he added.
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