Non-BJP parties meet in JK, various issues including Assembly polls, restoration of statehood discussed

Our Correspondent

Srinagar March 11

The National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday chaired an all-party meeting of Opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir. It was unanimously decided that a delegation of political parties of the UT will go to Delhi to meet the national leaders over their various demands, including Assembly elections in JK and restoration of its statehood.

The other issues that have been decided to be put before national leaders would include land eviction campaigns, recruitment scams, and implementation of property tax.

Representatives of various Opposition parties participated in the meeting. Although PDP president Mehbooba Mufti could not attend, her party members were present in the meeting.

BJP leaders were not present in this meeting.

The business community and various political parties had called for ‘Jammu bandh’ on the same day.

“The delegation will meet the national leaders and they will be informed about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Then this delegation along with the national leaders will go to ECI where they will demand to hold Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir,” Abdullah told reporters after the meeting at his residence.

“The JK delegation will inform the national leadership about issues like land eviction campaigns, recruitment scams, implementation of property tax so that they understand our problem and raise it appropriately in the upcoming parliamentary session,” he said.

Abdullah said the business community and various political parties had called for Jammu bandh today. “Youth are protesting for jobs and are beaten with sticks. One day some laws are made. Then a few days later those rules changed. Assembly elections have not been held in the state since 2014.”

He said that on the one hand the government is claiming that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved and the G20 meeting will be held here in May while on the other hand the Assembly elections here are being delayed.

“The people of Jammu and Kashmir are facing various hardships, including serious unemployment and mental trauma due to the new property tax, and the government is unmoved about the plight of common people,” Abdullah said.

Reducing Jammu and Kashmir from a full-fledged state to a Union Territory is a tragedy for the nation, he said.

Congress president Vikar Rasool Wani, CPI (M) leader M Y Tarigami, PDP leader Amrik Singh Reen, National Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh, Aam Aadmi Party leader and district development council member T S Tony were among the leaders present in the meet.

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