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PDP holds protests over LoP’s ‘traitor’ remarks, seeks apology
Led by PDP leader Iltija Mufti from party office in Srinagar, the rally demanding apology from Leader of Opposition Sharma, culminated at Polo View in City Centre
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Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday organised protest rallies in Srinagar and Pulwama against the “disrespect” shown by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sunil Sharma towards the “martyrs” of July 13,193.
Led by PDP leader Iltija Mufti from party office in Srinagar, the rally demanding apology from Leader of Opposition Sharma, culminated at Polo View in City Centre.
Holding placard which read “Martyrs of 13th July 1931 are our heroes”, Iltija accused the BJP of trying to “erase our collective memory”. “Sunil Sharma is a leader and he should know how these martyrs spilled their blood for the people of J&K and played an important role. It is because of them that democracy was established here and dictatorship ended. It was because of the dictatorship, Muslims were marginalised, and there was tough taxation and oppression against them. So Sunil Sharma should brush up his history,” she said.
The J&K assembly on Wednesday witnessed stormy scenes over leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma “traitor” remarks for the 1931 “martyrs” prompting the speaker to expunge the remarks.
Iltija said that no disrespect of “our forefather martyrs” will be accepted.
“Our forefather martyrs gave their lives 70 years back to end dictatorial rule here. It was an autocratic and oppressive rule here in J&K and to end that they gave their lives. And we won’t accept any disrespect to our martyrs,” she said.
Sharma made the remarks on Wednesday after Para demanded the restoration of the two holidays in the assembly during the ongoing budget session.
The erstwhile state of J&K used to mark July 13 as “martyrs’ day” in memory of 21 Kashmiris slain in 1931 on the orders of the then ruler Maharaja Hari Singh after an uprising against the princely state. After the revocation of Article 370, the UT administration discontinued the holiday.
Iltija said that it was only because of their sacrifice that a movement started here. “It galvanised the political consciousness among the people of J&K. If they had not given their lives then there would have been no democracy here,” she said.
“Yesterday BJP’s LoP Sunil Sharma called our martyrs arsonists and traitors. Calling them traitors is wrong. It has been BJP’s attempt to erase our collective history and memory and it is unacceptable,” she said.
Iltija said that Sharma should apologise to the people of J&K. “You can’t tell us who are our heroes. The 22 martyrs who laid down their lives are our heroes for the times to come. If they had not given their lives, then the political movement in J&K for democracy would not have been there. We would not have been here. Their blood is very precious to us. We will not let anybody to erase our collective history or disrespect their memory,” she said.
BJP protests in Jammu
BJP activists and leaders held a protest in Jammu against the deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary’s “dictator” remark against Maharajas who ruled J&K.
Many BJP activists assembled at Kachi Chawni in Jammu.
“There is a difference between dictatorship and regality. When maharaja took the throne in 1925 he said that I have no religion. Justice is my only religion… Calling him a dictator has been the history of National Conference and Congress ,” said a protesting BJP leader.
