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If elected as prez, my priority will be to restore peace in J&K: Yashwant Sinha
Combined opposition candidate for presidential poll Yashwant Sinha said there is no other state in the country where democracy is negated like J&K
Combined opposition candidate for presidential poll Yashwant Sinha on Saturday said that nobody should claim to be patriotic in this country if the patriotism of J&K leaders like National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and People’s Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti is questioned.
The former BJP leader, who was here on a day-long visit to drum up support for his presidential bid, said that very few people knew that the ‘very limited democracy’ which was prevalent in J&K has been eroded further.
Sinha said there is no other state in the country where democracy is negated like J&K. “I am here to show our solidarity to the people of J&K,” he said as Farooq and Mehbooba accompanied him.
The parliament will vote to choose the President of India on July 18 where the ruling NDA has chosen Droupadi Murmu as its candidate.
He said that if elected, his priorities would be to urge the government to take all necessary steps to resolve the Kashmir issue permanently and restore peace, justice, democracy, normalcy and end the hostile development towards J&K.
“It is for the second time in our history that there is no assembly in J&K. It is unfortunate that the participation of people from J&K in this important election is not to the extent which it should have been,” he added.
Sinha said it was deeply regrettable that the Supreme Court of India has not even begun the hearing related to Articles 370 and 35 A till now. “Long pendency of cases erodes the credibility of the apex court. The statehood of the J&K should be restored and free and fair elections to the assembly be held at the earliest. I am opposed to the forcible and manipulative demographic changes in J&K,” he added.
He said that the central government has failed to fulfil its promise to create conditions for the safe and dignified return and resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits. Sinha also condemned what he said was a malicious and false portrayal of the Kashmiri people.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to the leaders of political parties from J&K that he would take steps to remove ‘Dil ki doori and Dilli ki doori’ was not fulfilled. “One more jumla was added by the government,” Sinha said.
Farooq seeks probe in Amarnath deaths
Farooq Abdullah demanded that a commission should be formed to probe why the camp for Amaranth Yatra this year was set up in a dangerous area which was hit by flashfloods and led to deaths of pilgrims.
“We will hope that the government will form a commission to know how this happened. How these camps were established (there). It is a dangerous area. Bring clarity before people. Also, people whose kin have died should be compensated and things kept in mind that such things don’t happen again,” he said.
