Jammu, Dec 09: Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) on Saturday expressed hope that the Supreme Court will do “justice” with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and restore Article 370 in its verdict to be delivered on December 11.
Addressing the media in Jammu, the party’s General Secretary R S Chib said they are hopeful “the country’s highest court will respect the sentiments and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and will ensure whatever was snatched from us unconstitutionally on August 5, 2019, will be returned to the people”.
“We are hopeful the decision is in our favour since it carries the aspirations and sentiments of the people of UT,” he said, adding that it is time for the BJP-led Central government to return the statehood to J&K.
Chib added, “Nothing has changed for good in the UT and the historic State is run by an administrator backed by Delhi. Our people shall have their own elected government. The privileges enjoyed by its people like Article 35A were given to it by Maharaja Hari Singh.”
He said DPAP is fighting the battle of common people and it has remained steadfast in its cause to benefit and support the people. “The BJP betrayed the people of J&K and the rest of the country on the Kashmir situation.“Article 370 revocation changed nothing but brought more terrorism and violence,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, the party’s chief spokesperson Salman Nizami said, “DPAP led by Ghulam Nabi Azad fought bravely on the streets and on the floor of parliament for the people of J&K. Our party chairman roared like a lion on the floor of house in the Parliament. He had already termed the move of August 5, 2019, illegal and unconstitutional.”
Provincial President Jugal Kishore Sharma said, “We have encounters happening everywhere. Security forces are losing their lives after the August 5, 2019, decision. Jobs and land rights exclusively provided to the local people were granted by Maharaja since J&K was a landlocked region geographically with limited resources. Unfortunately, the Centre removed all these privileges and reduced the historic state to one of its UTs.”
