NC legislators stage sit-in outside LA
Jammu, Feb 3: National Conference (NC) legislators on Tuesday staged a sit-in outside the J&K legislature seeking restoration of statehood and special status and protested against the harassment of Kashmiris outside Jammu and Kashmir.
NC MLAs, carrying placards amid slogans, protested on the stairs leading to the legislature complex before the dayís proceedings began.
Their placards, mainly, read 'The Appropriate time is now. Restore statehood'; 'Delay is denial, Give statehood now'; 'Restore constitutional guarantees, restore statehood'; 'Undo the wrong. Restore the special status'; 'Patriotism does not mean hating and beating Kashmiris'; 'Stop demonising Kashmiris' and 'Restore statehood.'
Special status is reference to Article 370 and Article 35 A.
MLA Altaf Ahmad Wani, while speaking to media persons, said that the protest was against delay in statehood. ìWe are seeking restoration of statehood. We are raising our voices for our special status. Besides, we are also saying that the decision taken on August 5, 2019, was unconstitutional and not acceptable. That issue is still alive. The Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister promised restoration of statehood on the floor of the House. We are seeking it, nothing else.î
His party colleague Nazir Gurezi too echoes similar statements seeking restoration of statehood and special status.
NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said, ìWe are staging a sit-in. This is our democratic right to raise voice against certain issues troubling our people. I just came to know about the incident of harassment of a senior Kashmiri couple in Saharanpur. This trend of harassing Kashmiris Muslims in the name of patriotism is wrong. The Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister should take steps to stop this disturbing trend. They should give directions to the different states to check this harassment.î
ìWe think that the appropriate time has come for restoration of statehood. It should be restored as early as possible. We are also protesting against the way Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College was closed,î he said.
