NC calls for two-day bandh, protests across Doda against abrogation attempts

BJP rubbishes opposition parties’ claims

The tug of war continues between the opposition parties and the Bharatiya Janata party over the attempts being made to abrogate the Article 35 (A) of Indian constitution.
To gain public support against the abrogation of the provision, Opposition National Conference kick-started an awareness campaign in Doda district with its district senior vice-president, Doda, Dr Raiz Bhaderwahi asking party functionaries here to mobilise public support to defend the state subject laws.
He also called for a two-day strike and massive protests across Doda district on August 28 and 29 and asked the party workers to make the programme a success by joining the protests en-masse.
Speaking at a meeting here, Bhaderwahi said NC will not allow any tinkering with the constitutional provisions giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir. “The rulers, whether in Srinagar or Delhi, should understand that we will not compromise on this big and serious issue which is related to our survival,” he said.
He accused the BJP and PDP of misleading the people and urged workers to counter it with “truth”.
He said the 90-year-old law, introduced by Maharaja Hari Singh to keep the identity of Jammu and Kashmir intact, gives its people exclusive right over land, jobs in government departments, scholarship to students, special aid and relief.
“On August 28 and 29 NC workers will hold protest and demonstration in Bhaderwah and also announced complete bandh on both these days”
Meanwhile, BJP state spokesperson, Prof. Virender Gupta, in a statement said that statements of opposition party leaders on the issue were “uncalled for” as the matter is pending in the Supreme Court and no judgement has been so far delivered.
“Their noise may be because of the fact that they are on weak legs and are afraid of the judgement which they pre-assume may go against the retention of article 35A. The criticism of BJP on the issue is also uncalled for as BJP as a party or the Government at the Centre has not challenged the legality of 35A,” he said.
Gupta said that these parties and their leaders always remained in “search of issues so that they can regain back their base among the public, which has rejected them in the assembly elections”. “Some of the leaders including Devender Singh Rana are creating panic among the people of Jammu province while exploiting the people of the province,” he said.
“These statements are merely hoax. The fact of the matter is that no person from outside the state is going to settle in the state which has very little resources and potentials to create opportunities for growth and development. The states like Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand which have terrain and climatic conditions, mostly similar to Jammu province do not face any such problem of losing identity change of demography,” he added.
“Contrary to what is being propagated, the employment opportunity for the people of Jammu province would increase, if big industries are established.”
He informed the people of Jammu region that Article 35A provides authorities to the state to enact a law to resettle the people “who were originally state subjects but have settled in Pakistan or in PoK, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir”
He said that people of Jammu must be aware of the Resettlement Bill that was passed by State Legislature under the Chief Ministership of Farooq Abdullah that was challenged in the Supreme Court.
“The real challenge that the people of Jammu are facing is from the Kashmir based political parties and Jammu-based parties/leaders who act as subservient to Kashmiri leadership.”

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