Srinagar, Aug 05 :
On the fifth anniversary of the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370, the BJP marked the day with celebrations across the valley, while opposition leaders termed August 5 as not only a “dark day for J&K but a blot on Indian democracy.”
The day began with a series of events organised by the BJP, including flag hoisting at multiple locations. Senior party leaders addressed the gatherings, reiterating the significance of the abrogation and its impact on the region’s integration with the rest of the country.
They highlighted the developmental projects and infrastructural advancements initiated over the past five years, asserting that the move has paved the way for peace and progress in the Union Territory. The air at the BJP office in uptown Jawahar Nagar was filled with a sense of festivity as firecrackers were burst, lighting up the skyline.
Despite the jubilant atmosphere among BJP supporters, the day was not without its share of dissent. Opposition political parties claimed their leaders were placed under ‘house arrest’.
Referring to BJP’s celebration in Srinagar, NC vice-president and former chief minister Omar Abdullah said on X, “This is what passes for democracy and free speech in J&K. A handful of BJP ‘leaders’ are encouraged to celebrate today while those who would have registered their protest against what was done to J&K are locked up in homes across the Valley.”
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president and another former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said August 5, 2019, will go down in history not just as a “dark day for
Amid opposition dissent
J&K but a blot on Indian democracy.” She posted on X, “The day when a semi-autonomous state was disempowered, dismembered, & robbed of everything special & sacrosanct to us. Since then the state has been threatened into silence which is touted as ‘peace and normalcy’ to the rest of the country. Five years on the siege continues but so does the unyielding defiance & resistance. We Kashmiris refuse to be erased & unpeopled (sic).”
Lambasting the BJP over celebrating the abrogation of Article 370, J&K Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said, “What was achieved in five years, the BJP should answer to the people, especially Dogras, instead of rubbing salt on their wounds.”
People’s Conference chairman Sajad Lone also termed August 5 “an ugly reminder” of the complete disempowerment of the Kashmiri people.
“Five years on, there is no elected Assembly and the locals have no say in running their own affairs. And sadly there aren’t enough powerful voices in the country to ask questions on why J&K has been selectively targeted for such humiliating existence,” he said.
