All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) has referred to the visit of Home Minister Amit Shah to Jammu Kashmir as an initiation of the electoral process in the union territory. The Committee has demanded the restoration of statehood to Jammu Kashmir before the holding of assembly elections.
APSCC Chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said that assembly elections can wait in Jammu Kashmir adding that the restoration of statehood should be done at the earliest.
He said that the people of Jammu Kashmir are yearning for the restoration of statehood and it would be apt to make an announcement about the same at the earliest. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a lead in this regard.
“Addressing public rallies at Rajouri and Baramulla is a clear indication that the Government of India wants to start the electoral process in Jammu & Kashmir. The union government also wants to highlight its working in Kashmir so as to spell out its agenda for the forthcoming assembly elections,” said Raina.
The APSCC Chairman said that Kashmiri Pandits got the number of packages in the past three decades with thousands of youth of the community getting adjusted in the government departments.
He said that on the other hand, the Sikh minority community got nothing with even centuries-old Punjabi language losing recognition in Jammu Kashmir. Raina appealed to Home Minister to ensure equal distribution of benefits to all the communities so that justice is delivered. (KNT)