Srinagar:Marking the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, National Conference (NC) leaders and workers on Tuesday staged protests across various district headquarters of the Kashmir Valley, observing the day as a ‘Black Day’.
Wearing black bands as a symbol of mourning, the party workers lashed out at the BJP-led Central Government, accusing it of unilaterally revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and reducing the erstwhile state to a Union Territory.
Protesters claimed the decision was imposed on the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who were, according to them, “caged” on August 5, 2019, and continue to face the consequences. “We were stripped of our statehood and robbed of our constitutional rights,” NC leaders said during the demonstrations.
Although an elected government is now in place in the Union Territory, party leaders alleged it is functioning without any real powers. They questioned the delay in restoring statehood, reminding the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of their public commitments made in this regard. “Six years have passed, yet Jammu and Kashmir continues to be governed as a Union Territory,” one of the protest leaders said.
In their address, the leaders also demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners, particularly those shifted to jails outside the Valley on the day of the abrogation. “Suppressing dissent and silencing voices through arrests and restrictions has become the norm,” they alleged.
The NC called the day a dark chapter in the region’s history, asserting that the BJP government had failed to win the hearts and minds of the people despite its claims of support on the ground.
Meanwhile, authorities maintained tight security across sensitive areas of the Valley to prevent any untoward incidents. [KNT]
