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Kashmiri Pandits protest in Washington over report in US daily on Article 370
The protesting group called the article by the weekly a result of “fake news” and “propaganda”.
Over 300 Kashmiri Pandits protested in Washington over an article by a prestigious daily in the US which they said showed them in poor light.
Armed with posters, Indian flags, banners they assembled outside Washington Post office and were joined by other members of the Indian community. The group also displayed a banner thanking PM Modi for scrapping of Article 370.
Last month, the Centre through a presidential order scrapped Article 370, which provided for Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. The Centre also divided the erstwhile state into two Union Territories: One, Jammu and Kashmir and the other, Ladakh.
Since August 5, then the state has been under security lockdown and there is a ban on internet and mobile services. However, the ban has been lifted in some districts.
The protesting group called the article by the weekly a result of “fake news” and “propaganda”.
They said the article has maligned the country intentionally.
The protesting group said that they also plan to take this matter to local lawmakers and help them in understanding of Article 370.
At the end of the rally, journalists from Post came out and received memorandum and interviewed few people.
Meanwhile, in the UK, India’s high commissioner Ruchi Ghanshyam took up a mop and cleaned sections of India House and the pavement sullied by eggs and other projectiles hurled during the September 3 protest on the issue of scrapping of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Several thousand Kashmiri Pandits fled the Valley for safety to places like Jammu and other Indian cities in the early 1990s after the start of militancy and the targeted killing of some members of their community. Many were killed and many others claim that their homes have been taken over by locals who coveted the properties.
Soon after Article 370 was scrapped, Kashmiri Pandits expressed hope that it would help restore peace in Jammu and Kashmir.
