NEW DELHI: During the three-hour-long meeting with Jammu and Kashmir political leaders and Central Government varieties of issues were discussed while leaders from PAGD including Mehbooba Mufti, Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah expressed resentment over the abrogation of Article 370.
Development, vaccination, delimitation process were on the agenda of Prime Minister while almost all leaders from Jammu and Kashmir except few demanded restoration of statehood.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said delimitation has to happen at quick pace so that polls can happen. “Our priority is to strengthen grassroots democracy in J&K. Delimitation has to happen at a quick pace so that polls can happen and J&K gets an elected Government that gives strength to J&K’s development trajectory,” PM Modi said in a tweet.
After the meeting, where the demand for J&K’s statehood was raised by many, Union Minister Amit Shah said delimitation exercise and peaceful elections are important milestones in restoring the same. “We are committed to ensure all round development of J&K. The delimitation exercise and peaceful elections are important milestones in restoring statehood as promised in parliament,” Shah tweeted.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti while demanding immediate halt to arrest spree and release of prisoners in Jammu and Kashmir said that People of J&K will struggle constitutionally, democratically, peacefully. “Be it months or years, we’ll restore Article 370 in J&K as it’s a matter of our identity. We didn’t get it from Pakistan, it was given to us by our country, by JL Nehru, Sardar Patel.”
She said people of J&K are in pain since 5 August 2019. They are angry and feel humiliated. The people of J&K do not accept the unconstitutional abrogation of Article 370.
Mehbooba Mufti added that people of J&K are in a lot of difficulties after 5th Aug 2019. They are angry, upset & emotionally shattered. They feel humiliated. I told PM that people of J&K don’t accept the manner in which Article 370 was abrogated unconstitutionally, illegally & immorally.
Farooq Abdullah said that restoration of full statehood of Jammu and Kashmir will be the first trust-building exercise from New Delhi side.
Omar Abdullah as per news agency Kashmir News Trust said that: “We told PM that we don’t stand with what was done on 5th Aug 2019. We’re not ready to accept it. But we won’t take law into hands. We will fight this in court. We also told PM that there’s been breach of trust between State & Centre. It’s Centre’s duty to restore it,”
|Apni Party leader Syed Altaf Bukhari said that he pleaded for early hearing of SC on Articles 370 & 35-A, Statehood, Delimitation on merit, constitutional protection for land, jobs and natural resources for J&K residents, youth policy, better inter-regional connectivity and early assembly elections.
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said five demands – granting of statehood, conducting Assembly elections to restore democracy, rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in J&K, release of all political detainees and that on domicile rules –– were put forward during their talks with the PM.
Terming the meeting “cordial” and “positive”, People’s Conference leader Muzzafar Hussain Beigh said PM Modi assured that he will do everything to make Jammu and Kashmir a zone of peace rather than conflict. “All leaders demanded statehood. To which PM said, the delimitation process should conclude first and then other issues will be addressed. It was a satisfactory meeting. There was complete unanimity for restoring peace in Jammu and Kashmir,” Beigh added.
President Congress Party Ghulam Ahmed Mir said that it was a good meeting, a good initiative. The Prime Minister heard all leaders. In response to them, he said, “let us move ahead.”
CPI(M) leader Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami who is also the spokesperson of PAGD said that the “Prime Minister and Home Minister heard our concerns, demands and aspirations today but we did not get any concrete assurances from them.” (KNT)
