Apni Party activists held a protest demonstration in Srinagar on Tuesday, demanding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir before the assembly elections held here.
The party workers including prominent leaders gathered at the party headquarters at Church Lane here holding banners and took out a protest demonstration led by senior vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir.
However, the police did not allow the procession to proceed towards the Press Colony in Srinagar.
The protesters were raising slogans demanding the immediate restoration of all democratic rights to Jammu and Kashmir including statehood. The protestors were demanding the restoration of statehood to J&K before the assembly elections are held here.
“The purpose of this protest is to remind the central government of its promises regarding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir”, Party Vice President Mir told media persons on the occasion.
He said the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of the country have promised that statehood to J&K will be restored soon. However, nearly five years have passed and this promise remains unfulfilled.
“The people of J&K have been further disempowered and deprived of their rights through various initiatives taken during this period of time”, Mir said.
The Apni Party demands the immediate restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. We want the restoration of the statehood that existed before August 5, 2019, he added.
Mir said, “We want the central government to respect the sentiments of the people and provide them with all the rights they are entitled to as per the constitution of the country”.
Mir condemned the police action halting the party’s peaceful protest.
“It was a peaceful protest conducted in a democratic manner for a genuine cause”, Mir said and added “it is disappointing that the government did not permit even this peaceful demonstration”.
In democracies, holding a peaceful protest is a fundamental right and is allowed in every civilized society. Preventing such a protest is a cowardly act by the government, and we condemn it, he added.