Ruling NC announces peaceful ‘gherao’ of BJP office in Srinagar, Jammu tomorrow

Srinagar, Sep 1 (IANS) Ruling National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday announced a peaceful ‘gherao’ of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) offices in Jammu and Srinagar to mount pressure on the Union government to fulfil commitments made to the people of the union territory in the Parliament and the Supreme Court.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are on record saying that statehood would be restored to J&K at ‘an appropriate time’.

The Government of India, in its submission in the Supreme Court, also assured restoration of statehood to J&K.

In the backdrop of these assurances, the ruling NC on Tuesday announced that it will peacefully gherao the BJP headquarters in Srinagar and Jammu on Wednesday, September 2, pressing the Union Government to fulfil commitments made in Parliament and before the Supreme Court of India.

In a statement posted on its official social media account, the National Conference said the proposed demonstrations would focus on what it described as its clear and longstanding demands concerning Jammu and Kashmir.

The party listed restoration of statehood, constitutional guarantees, clearance of the reservation file and what it termed justice for the people of Jammu and Kashmir among its demands. The NC said the proposed action was aimed at seeking accountability from the Union Government over commitments made in Parliament and before the Supreme Court.

“The mandate of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is not a blank cheque. It must be respected, not taken for granted,” the party said. It has described the proposed gherao as peaceful and called for its demands to be addressed through political and democratic means.

The NC had also carried out protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi at the start of the monsoon session of the Parliament to mount pressure on the central government for restoration of statehood to J&K.

–IANS

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