Mehbooba says BJP will destroy constitution to replace tricolor with saffron flag
SRINAGAR: The Peoples Democratic Party and the Congress on Friday held protests on the third anniversary of the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and reiterated their resolve to fight for its restoration.
The National Conference held a meeting on the occasion and pinned all its hopes on the Supreme Court overturning the decisions taken by the Center on this day three years ago.
Life remained normal across Kashmir on Friday with markets, schools and other establishments remaining open. “Ignoring the bandh call, all shops are open and this is absolutely normal in Srinagar district. These scenes are from Lal Chowk area,” the Srinagar Police tweeted along with a 13-second video of Lal Chowk showing scenes of normalcy.
Mehbooba and her party workers gathered at the party office near Sher-e-Kashmir Municipal Park here to protest the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into union territories and the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted special status to the erstwhile state. Had given. State.
They tried to march towards Lal Chowk, but were stopped by policemen on law and order duty.
Protesters carrying placards and banners demanding restoration of special status to Jammu and Kashmir were allowed to camp outside the PDP office for some time. Later they dispersed peacefully.
Speaking to reporters, Mehbooba said that her party is not only committed to fight for the restoration of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, but also works for a permanent solution to the issue of Kashmir.
“In times to come, they will destroy the Constitution and the foundation on which this country stands. They will make it a religious state and replace the tricolor with the saffron flag. They will change the national flag as they did with our constitution and flag. But we are determined to fight for the restoration of what has been taken away from us.”
The PDP president later said on Twitter that the BJP’s conspiracy for Jammu and Kashmir has been exposed.
“The BJP’s malicious designs for J&K have been exposed, the pattern of repression and fear is now knocking at the door in the rest of the country as well. Arming your pet agencies and using terror laws to quell dissent has become the norm,” she said.
“Your silence and complicity encouraged the Indian government to wreak havoc. Today they are crushing every pillar supporting Indian democracy by breaking it. The BJP’s so-called integration of Jammu and Kashmir which never happened has cost us a heavy price,” the former chief minister said, apparently referring to political parties from the rest of the country.
He claimed that J&K has slipped on the development indices.
“Unemployment and inflation are at an all-time high. The mask of normalcy is as real as ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’.”
A group of Congress workers led by former ministers Tariq Karra and Taj Mohiuddin also protested against the abrogation of Article 370 and demanded its restoration.
The Congress workers who had gathered inside the party office on Maulana Azad Road here were not allowed out on the streets by the policemen posted at the gate.
Meanwhile, National Conference President Farooq Abdullah presided over the party meeting at Nawai-Subh.
“August 5, 2019 signifies breach of trust, decisions are not acceptable to us. We hope that the Supreme Court will reverse the unilateral, undemocratic and unconstitutional decisions. Will continue to fight peacefully for his rights, Abdullah was quoted by a party spokesperson in a tweet.
Party Vice President Omar Abdullah also pledged to use all legal, constitutional and peaceful means for the restoration of Article 370.
He said, “We will continue our peaceful struggle using all legal and constitutional means to challenge what was done to Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. The road ahead may be long, with twists and turns.” Loaded from, but it’s not the one @JKNC_ will drop,” he said. tweeted.
His party’s official Twitter handle put up the poster saying, “We reject the suffrage and disenfranchisement of the people of J&K” and urged the Supreme Court to constitute a bench to begin hearing in the matter.
CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami tweeted, “On this day in 2019, the Central Government upheld the Constitution and looted what it had achieved by locking down thousands of people overnight J&K after an uphill battle. We reiterate our cast iron resolve to work unitedly to restore what was snatched from us.
Jammu and Kashmir’s BJP in-charge Tarun Chugh, however, claimed that the former state has become terrorism free after the special status was abolished. PTI