Apny Party protests, seeks J&K’s statehood before elections

Srinagar, July 30: Apni Party on Tuesday held a protest here demanding the restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir before the assembly elections.
Prominent leaders of the party, along with senior workers, joined the procession. However, the police did not allow the procession to proceed towards the Press Colony in Srinagar, the party said in a statement issued here.
According to the statement, party leaders and senior workers gathered at the party headquarters and started the protest demonstrations. The party’s Senior Vice President, Ghulam Hassan Mir, led the procession, which was not allowed to proceed beyond Church Lane, outside the premises of the party headquarters.
The protesters raised slogans demanding the immediate restoration of all democratic rights to Jammu and Kashmir, especially its statehood. They demanded the restoration of the statehood to J&K before the assembly elections are held here.
On the occasion, Ghulam Hassan Mir, speaking to reporters, said, “The purpose of this protest is to remind the central government of its promises regarding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. 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. Instead, the people of J&K have been further disempowered and deprived of their rights through various initiatives during this period.”
He added, “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. 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 alleged police action halting the party’s peaceful protest. “It was a peaceful protest conducted in a democratic manner for a genuine cause. 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,” he said, adding, “Preventing such a protest is a cowardly act by the government, and we condemn it.”