Senior National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said the BJP-led Central government has lost everything by abrogating Article 370.
“They have not gained anything,’’ Farooq told THE WEEK. “They have lost everything. We will continue out battle, our fight.”
About the government not allowing a meeting of all parties at his residence on Wednesday, Farooq said this shows their democratic credentials.
Farooq had invited political parties for a meeting at his residence at Gupkar Road in Srinagar on the first anniversary of the Article 370 revocation last year on August 5, but the police blocked the road leading to the NC leader’s residence.
The leaders of the Congress, CPI (M), the PDP, JKPM, PDF and other parties were expected to attend the meeting at Farooq’s residence.
It is the first time since the NC leader’s release from detention in March. Farooq had called for a meeting of all political parties to discuss the revocation of Article 370.
Most political leaders who were supposed to attend the meet were not allowed to move out of their houses.
“Today, after one year, this meeting was proposed, but one day before curfew was imposed,’’ said CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami. “This is contrary to the claims of the government of India restoring normalcy and controlling militancy and then all of a sudden using curfew to prevent people from moving around.”
Tarigami said he was surprised when his security personnel told him that they have been told that he shouldn’t go out.
“There is no order. This is new method of coercion snatching basic rights of citizens .They are enforcing something, which we don’t know.”
Tarigami said he wants to know under what law or section they are being detained in the rooms.
NC vice-president Omar Abdullah took to his Twitter handle to vent his anger. He wrote, “One year on, this is Gupkar road today - police vehicles opposite our gates, concertina wire strung across the road at regular intervals & no vehicles allowed. My father had called a meeting of leaders of MAINSTREAM parties to deliberate on the current situation.”
In another tweet, Omar wrote, “Clearly the meeting is not being allowed to go ahead. The BJP gets to announce a 15 day celebration to mark 5th Aug & a handful of us aren’t allowed to meet in my father’s lawn. So much for BJP national leaders wondering why there is no political activity.”
In another tweet, the former chief minister of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir wrote, “One year later the authorities are still too afraid to allow us to meet much less carry out any normal political activity. This fear speaks volumes about the true situation on the ground in Kashmir.’’