Expressing anguishing on what it termed as the “fast deteriorating situation in Jammu Kashmir,” People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) Saturday alleged that the “Centre was choking even the breathing space of people of J&K, leaving them to suffer on every front.”
As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), addressing a press conference here, PAGD spokesman M Y Tarigami said that the alliance leaders discussed the present political scenario in Jammu Kashmir and expressed its serious concern on the “fast deteriorating situation in Kashmir as well as Jammu.”
“After taking away the constitutional right of Article 370, other ways of survival are being gradually choked. Civil liberties, freedom of the press, freedom of speech is under assault while police stations and jails are being filled with innocent people,” said Tarigami, who was flanked by PAGD chief Dr. Farooq Abdullah, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, ANC vice president Muzaffar Shah and others.
Tarigami said that it was high time that people and the political parties of J&K must wake up and raise a collective and united voice against the “present onslaught of New Delhi on people here.” He said that outside every police station, parents are waiting to see their children out. “Outside jails have now no capacity given the number of people of Kashmir lodged there,” Tarigami alleged.
He termed the frequent visits of Union Ministers as a “move to push people of Kashmir to the wall further.” “These ministers are coming to ensure suppression is tightened further and whosoever raises is put behind the bars,” he said. Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for stating that power and democracy were taken to the grassroots level in J&K; Tarigami said in the Naya Kashmir document, decentralization has been prioritized and democracy was already at the grassroots level.
He said that if J&K is being converted into the Gujrat model; why the sale of liquor, beer, and drugs is being allowed freely? About giving voting rights to anyone by authorizing the Tehsildars, Tarigami said that giving voting rights is the prerogative of the Election Commission, “how come the government was issuing orders.?
“On the next day of order, the media is being told that the order stands withdrawn. Isn’t this a mockery of democracy? Meanwhile, replying to a query, PAGD chief Dr Farooq Abdullah asked the government where are the 50,000 jobs promised by it. “Situation is grim as the number of unemployed youth is swelling. I visited Marwah, Dachan in Jammu region and found that a Sub-District hospital has no doctor at all,” he said—(KNO)