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Opposition parties stage protest seeking early polls in J&K
The leaders of main opposition parties, including National Conference, Congress and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) participated in the sit-in, demanding for polls in the region
United Opposition Front, an amalgamation of opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir, staged a sit-in on Tuesday seeking restoration of democracy and constitutional rights of the people.
The leaders of main opposition parties, including National Conference, Congress and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) participated in the sit-in, demanding for polls in the region.
The last elected government in the region, PDP-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, fell on June 19, 2018, after the latter pulled out of the alliance citing deteriorating security situation.
Addressing a gathering at Maharaja Hari Singh Park on the banks of Tawi River, protesters slammed the BJP for “ruling J&K through a proxy and denying the people a duly elected government.”
The protest was supposed to be led by NC president Farooq Abdullah, but he could not make it to the venue due to “ill health”. However, senior party leaders led by provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta participated in the protest.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti was also conspicuous by her absence.
PDP leader Firdous Tak said, “The BJP has ruined J&K in the past 10 years. The resentment among the people could be easily gauged by the Kargil hill council poll results where BJP got only two seats.”
“While lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha claimed that 80% people were satisfied with the bureaucratic rule, the fact is that people are frustrated by the misgovernance and corruption,” he added.
J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool Wani said, that the Kargil election results were a clear message for the BJP.
“Today, all opposition parties are demanding restoration of constitution in J&K. People are demanding their democratic rights but this government is not bothered about them,” he said.
Wani said that in the last 70 years, he did not come across a single instance in the country history where a state was converted to a UT, except J&K.
NC provincial president RL Gupta said, “Every stratum of the society, be it unemployed youth, poor, common man, women, daily wagers, government employees or business community, is frustrated with the BJP and its proxy rule in J&K.”
NC leader and former minister Ajay Sadhotra recalled that the home minister on August 5, 2019, on the floor of the parliament, had assured to hold assembly elections and restore statehood at an appropriate time. He pointed out that the Election Commission had announced polls in five states, but not in J&K.
CPI (M) leader MY Tarigami said they had no hope from the BJP-led central government as all its promises had proved “false.”
