Awami National Conference (ANC) on Tuesday expressed strong resentment over curfew like restrictions in Srinagar imposed by J&K Government ahead of first anniversary of abrogation of Article 370 and said that Modi’s Kashmir Policy has absolutely failed on ground.
According to statement issued to KNS, ANC President Begum Khalida Shah said that it has been one year now when New Delhi abrogated Article 370 “unconstitutionally” and “undemocratically” and dismembered the erstwhile State of J&K into two UTs which the majority of people in all the three regions – Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh have denounced this unilateral decision of the BJP Government who enforced this verdict through the barrel of gun and forced people of the territory to keep silence.
ANC President said that this is the stark reality on the ground with the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution trampled under the guise of national security in the democratic India. “Abrogation of Article 370 amounts to committing a severe breach of the Constitutional propriety that invites severe legal complications & breach of the Constitution by brazenly lying on the historic perspective of Article 370 on the floor of the Parliament”, Begum Khalida Shah said.
She further said that nowhere in the world has curfew been imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the single exception being – Kashmir. “The writing on the wall is very clear to the country that today – Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh in a united voice say- ‘NO’ to the Abrogation of Article 370”, she said.
ANC President further said that the events in the state since August 5, 2019 are demonstrating that the Narindra Modi led BJP Government has lost the plot in Kashmir with the masses answering him with a ‘Killer Silence’.
“The GoI and the Parliament did not follow the procedure laid down in Article 370, forgetting the elementary fact that the Union of India got the legal right to enter the state only because of the conditional Instrument of Accession (IOA). The BJP Govt. is trapped in its own created web, on the ground realities, historical facts & legal perspectives that cannot be contradicted or denied either by them or by the Parliament or the Supreme Court of India. The act of Parliament on August 5, 2019 was not only a gross contravention of the Indian Constitution but also amounts to a severe disrespect & contemptuous act. The SC of India is legally and constitutionally duty bound to declare the decision null and void without any duress or pressure and create history in protecting and preserving its impartial image”, Begum Khalida Shah added.
Meanwhile ANC senior vice-president Muzaffar Shah said that the unprecedented political, economical and the communication lockdowns being faced since 5th August 2019 have caused an economic loss of more than 50,000 Crores in the valley alone, with more than 5 lac people becoming jobless. “The Prime Minister and his Government is directly responsible for this loss to the state’s economic grid along with the mental trauma caused to millions of students & households facing continued lockdowns”, he said.
Shah further stated that in a democratic country, putting top brass mainstream political leaders, civil society members, former union ministers, sitting MP’s, former chief ministers, heads of political parties, legislators, legal luminaries, business heads and hundreds of youngsters continuously behind bars smacks of total dictatorship. The silent protest of the masses cannot cover up the drama of curfew enacted in Kashmir for prevention of Covid-19, when the real pretext is a total clampdown on the constitutional rights of Kashmir under BJP/ RSS combine.
“Mr. Prime Minister, you have blundered on Kashmir. The Gupkar declaration is alive. We stand United with the people of the state rejecting your decision”, Muzaffar Shah added. (KNS)