Manzoor-ul-Hassan
Srinagar, Aug 05 : Top political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have expressed disappointment over the alleged “negative repercussions” of the Article 370 abrogation by the Centre.
Among them were two former chief ministers, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, who vowed to continue fighting against the revocation.
The decision that ended the special status of the erstwhile state on August 5, 2019, marked the fifth anniversary on Monday.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, on the other hand, called it “historic” and organised celebration events and rallies.
Taking to microblogging site X, Abdullah posted, “A handful of BJP ‘leaders’ are encouraged to celebrate today while those who would have registered their protest against what was done to J&K are locked up in homes across the valley.”
He also shared a video of a BJP rally to express his disappointment, saying, “This is what passes for democracy & free speech in J&K.”
Meanwhile, National Conference State Spokesman Imran Nabi Dar claimed that several party leaders have been placed under house arrest to prevent them from protesting against the government.
“Putting curbs on political leaders is unwarranted and illegal. This has become a norm in J&K under the BJP regime,” he told news agency.
Dar also reiterated his party’s political battle to restore the status quo in Article 370 and elected government in J&K.
Mufti, also the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President, issued a series of statements on X.
“5th August 2019 will go down in history not just as a dark day for J&K but a blot on Indian democracy (sic),” she said.
“The day when a semi-autonomous state was disempowered, dismembered & robbed of everything special & sacrosanct to us. Since then the state has been threatened into silence which is touted as ‘peace and normalcy’ to the rest of the country (sic),” she said.
The PDP chief also claimed that she was placed under house arrest, and her party office has been locked amid heightened security.
“Five years on, the siege continues, but so does the unyielding defiance & resistance. We Kashmiris refuse to be erased & unpeopled (sic),” she added.
While PDP leaders were put under house arrest in Kashmir, several party leaders and workers in Jammu took out a protest rally and observed the day as a “black day.”
Senior politician and People’s Conference chief, Sajad Lone, called the day “an ugly reminder of the complete disempowerment of the Kashmiri people.”
“Five years on there is no elected Assembly and the locals have no say in running their own affairs. And sadly there aren’t enough powerful voices in the country to seek questions as to why J and K has been selectively targeted for such humiliating existence (sic),” he posted on X.
The Congress also lashed out at the BJP over the abrogation of Article 370.
“What was achieved in five years? The BJP should answer to the people, especially Dogras, instead of rubbing salt on their wounds,” J&K Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said.
He accused the party of “shamelessness” in celebrating the downgrading of a historic Dogra state.
“This move snatched the rights, dignity, and identity of the people of J&K,” he added.
Separately, former legislator and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader MY Tarigami criticised the BJP government for allegedly “cheating” the people of J&K.
“The BJP government had stated that repealing Article 370 would eliminate terrorism in J&K, attract investment, and create jobs, yet the opposite is occurring,” he said.
“BJP showed big dreams to people, which turned into something else, which amounts to cheating,” he told KNO.
Tarigami also rued the recent decision about changing business rules in J&K, terming it “gradual disempowerment” of people.
“This current regime in New Delhi wants to limit all major powers of the J&K Assembly, which is why they are gradually shifting powers to the Lieutenant Governor,” he said.
In contrast, BJP leaders organised celebrations, terming the decision “historic.”
The J&K unit of the party held “Ekatma Mahatsav” rallies to mark the fifth anniversary and celebrate the “complete unification” of J&K into the Indian Union.
The rally was held at Bana Singh Stadium in RS Pura and Party headquarters in Srinagar amid tight security.
In a separate event, the BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh lambasted the Congress Party and regional parties for putting J&K in an alleged “crisis”.
“Congress and regional parties of Abdullahs and Muftis have been deliberately misleading the people and have been trying to foment anti-national sentiments,” he said at a meeting in Akhnoor region.
Chugh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned a new era of peace and development for J&K. He asked the BJP workers to be prepared for the coming assembly elections.
“It is time to defeat anti-national forces in Jammu and Kashmir so that every person can enjoy the fruits of development and visionary policies of the Modi government,” he said.
