Jammu, Feb 3: Members of the National Conference (NC) on Tuesday staged a dharna outside the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, pressing for the restoration of statehood and an end to the alleged harassment of Kashmiris in different parts of the country.
Ahead of the Assembly session, NC legislators gathered outside the complex carrying placards reading “Restore statehood and Constitutional guarantees” and “Stop harassing Kashmiris outside J&K,” while raising slogans in support of their demands.
Minister Satish Sharma said the protest was aimed at reiterating the party’s long-pending demand for the restoration of statehood. “We are sitting on a dharna in support of the demand for restoration of statehood,” he told reporters.
NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq said all party members were participating in the protest and reminded that the restoration of statehood had been promised. “This was promised to us… It is now time to restore it,” he said.
Sadiq also flagged the issue of alleged harassment of Kashmiris outside Jammu and Kashmir and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to direct state governments to ensure the safety and protection of Kashmiris.
After the Assembly proceedings resumed, the issue was again raised inside the House by NC MLA Mubarak Gul and PDP MLA Wahid-ur-Rehman Para.
The protest comes in the backdrop of recent incidents, including an alleged assault on an 18-year-old Kashmiri youth in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun district on January 28 while he was selling shawls. Reports of Kashmiri shawl sellers being harassed and roughed up in some other states have also surfaced. (Agencies)
