The Indian National Congress chapter in occupied Jammu and Kashmir has decided to observe October 31, the day when the so-called Reorganization Act came into effect four years ago, as a black day to register protest against Modi-led Indian government’s policies aimed at snatching democratic rights of the Kashmiri people.
According to Kashmir Media Service, it was on August 5, 2019 that the Indian government illegally revoked the special status of IIOJK under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and bifurcated it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The so-called Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, which contains provisions to divide the territory into two union territories came into effect from October 31, 2019.
The IIOJK Congress President VikarRasoolWani, addressing a party meeting in Rajouri, said, “The Jammu and Kashmir administration and some people who were describing it as a temporary move are making preparations to celebrate UT diwas. The Congress will observe it as a black day to lodge a protest against the policies of the BJP including downgrading the full-fledged State into two UTs and snatching democratic rights of people by a stroke of pen”.
He slammed the BJP’s move to celebrate ‘UT diwas’ on October 31 despite failing to restore statehood and democratic process in IIOJK even after promising the same in the parliament. He said, “Do you consider the people of J&K to be dumb? You stripped them of their special status and statehood, and now you are celebrating UT Diwas”, terming it a deliberate move to divert the attention of public from the failures on the part of the Modi-led government.
Wani said that the BJP-led Indian government destroyed the occupied territory by splitting it into two union territories and demanded immediate restoration of its statehood. He added the saffron party’s policies have caused economic harm, high unemployment, and a decline in businesses in the region.—INP
