Political parties hit the streets in J&K for statehood, denounce BJP

Congress, National Conference, and PDP workers on Tuesday, 5 August, hit the streets in Jammu, demanding the restoration of the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

The protests were held on the sixth anniversary of the revocation of the erstwhile state's special status under Article 370, and its bifurcation into two Union Territories.

The three parties, along with Jammu-based All Parties United Morcha (APUM) - a group of various social and political parties -, observed 5 August as a "black day" in a denunciation of the downgrading of the state in 2019.

Pradesh Congress Committee working president Raman Bhalla, along with former minister Lal Singh and Taranjit Singh Tony, used a crane to garland the statue of the last Dogra ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh, at Tawi bridge in the heart of the city.

"Today's black day protest is part of our intensified campaign under 'Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq' to seek restoration of pride and glory of this historic Dogra state, which was destroyed by the BJP on 5 August 2019," Bhalla told reporters while leading the protest.

The party's J&K chief spokesperson, Ravinder Sharma, said the BJP undermined the democratically elected government and is running the affairs through a "remote control" from Lt governor Manoj Sinha's office.

"The assembly elections were held on the directions of the Supreme Court last year, but the popular government is not allowed to work. They have lost the elections but are still running the government through the LG office, and as a result of the dual rule, the people are suffering," he said.

He said the Supreme Court has directed for restoration of statehood to J&K "as soon as possible," but even after 10 months of the order, the Centre remains reluctant to restore statehood.

"Our demand for restoration of full-fledged statehood under 'Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq' will continue to mobilise support and expose the BJP. We are now going for a chain hunger strike from 9 to 21 August, hoping that the BJP will see reason and restore statehood to J&K during the ongoing Monsoon session of the parliament," Sharma said.

The Congress staged similar demonstrations at all district headquarters.

An attempt by its workers to take out a rally was scuttled in Rajouri by police, who also briefly detained MLA Iftikhar Ahmad and several others.

Workers of the ruling National Conference, led by provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta, staged a protest outside party headquarters on Residency Road in Jammu.

The protesters had to abort their march when police stopped them, and they were forced to return to the party office.

PDP workers raised a demonstration outside party headquarters in the Gandhi Nagar area of the city.