Members of the ruling National Conference (NC) on Tuesday staged a protest in front of the Assembly, demanding the restoration of statehood and an end to the alleged harassment of Kashmiris in various parts of the country.
The recent episode of violence erupted in Uttarakhand, where right-wing activists attacked and injured an 18-year-old shawl seller and also his brother, leaving the two seriously injured.
Besides this incident, cases of violence against Kashmiris have reportedly surged in several northern and northeastern states in the country. Incidents were reported from Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, New Delhi, and Punjab.
Ahead of the start of the Assembly session, NC MLAs were seen carrying placards reading “Restore statehood and constitutional guarantees” and “Stop harassing Kashmiris outside J&K”.
“We are sitting on a dharna in support of the demand for the restoration of statehood,” Minister Satish Sharma told reporters here. NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq said all NC members were participating in the protest. “This was promised to us. It is now time to restore it,” he said.
Sadiq also raised the issue of alleged harassment of Kashmiris outside Jammu and Kashmir and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to direct state governments to ensure their protection.
An 18-year-old Kashmiri youth suffered serious injuries after he was allegedly assaulted by a group of people while he was selling shawls in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun district on January 28.
Later, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s intervention in the matter forced Uttarakhand officials to take strict action against the mob and arrest those involved in the incident.
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