PDP takes to streets, demands revocation of Aug 5 decisions
Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar August 05 (KINS): On the 2nd anniversary of abrogation of Article 370, People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) Thursday said the situation was worsening since abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. At the same time, Peoples Democratic Party led by its president Mehbooba Mufti took to the streets demanding revocation of August 5, 2019 decisions.
Former Chief Minister and PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti along with party workers started a protest rally from party headquarters in Srinagar and demanded revocation of August 5 decisions.
According to news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS), after she arrived at party headquarters in Srinagar, she began a protest rally and raised slogans against abrogation of Article 370.
Wearing a black band, she was flanked by party leaders, protested outside the party headquarters in Srinagar and marched towards Lal Chowk’s Polo View area.
The PDP leaders were raising slogans like “the decision of the black day of August 5 is unacceptable and end oppressions and arrests”.
The PDP leaders and workers shouted slogans, “Take the August 5 decisions back, stop bloodshed in Kashmir, release all political prisoners, and restore J&K’s flag.”
“This is a black day for us when our identity was snatched away from us. It is regretful that the BJP is celebrating the occasion across the country while the people of Jammu and Kashmir are grieving it. Today is the day of mourning for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir. All of us are mourning today because of the era of oppression and brutality which was started by the BJP led Government on August 5th of 2019,” Mehbooba said.
She claimed that people were being detained, shop keepers being threatened with their leases being cancelled if they do not throw their shops open.
Earlier, in a tweet, she said, “No words or pictures are enough to depict the pain, torment and upheaval inflicted upon J&K on this black day two years ago. When unbridled oppression is unleashed and gross injustice heaped there is no other choice but to resist to exist.”
Similarly, the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) Thursday expressed concern over the situation in J&K and resolved to continue the struggle for the restoration the “legitimate rights” of its people.
The alliance held a meeting of its constituents at its chairman and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah”s residence in Gupkar area here.
The meeting was attended by the PAGD’s vice chairperson and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, its spokesperson and CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami and senior vice president of Awami national Conference Muzaffar Shah.
Tarigami said the alliance “reiterated our resolve to continue our struggle for restoration our legitimate rights”.
He said the meeting expressed concern over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Despite tall claims of the government, the situation since August 5, 2019 is worsening day by day. They claimed that normalcy will be restored and violence will end, but look what they have said on the floor of the Parliament recently in response to a question about statehood. The minister said that statehood will be restored only at an appropriate time when normalcy is restored,” Tarigami told news agency KINS.
It meant that the situation “continues to be abnormal” and the claim of restoring peace in the region has not been achieved by the measures initiated on that “unfortunate day of August 5, 2019”, he said.
The alliance spokesperson asked where was the investment and employment opportunities the Centre claimed the revocation of J-K’s special status will bring.
“If you move around whether it is Kashmir or Jammu, or even in fact in Ladakh region as well, whatever development was initiated by the previous governments even that is not yet being completed.”
“They claimed that lot of investment will be made here that will generate employment, that will generate hope for the youngsters, just tell me, where are those projects, where is that investment taking place? Forget about Kashmir, what about Jammu? Ask the chamber there, ask the chamber here and ask the people in Leh,” he said.
Tarigami said none of the promises made by the Centre has been fulfilled.
“Rather, implementing such laws which restrict the freedom of the press, of the people, have become an order of the day. While there have been two lockdowns (in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic) elsewhere (in the country), our Kashmir has continuously passed through crackdowns since August 5, 2019,” he said. (KINS)
