JAMMU, Aug 5: Mission Statehood President Sunil Dimple on Tuesday led a protest rally at Janipur High Court Chowk, observing August 5 as a “Black Day” and demanding the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and special constitutional status.
Accompanied by hundreds of supporters and Mission Statehood workers, Dimple marched through the area carrying black flags and raising slogans against the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.
Addressing the gathering, Dimple warned that he would soon issue a Jammu and Kashmir-wide bandh call if the Centre failed to restore full statehood and the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir.
He claimed that the observance of “Black Day” had received widespread support across Jammu and Kashmir and even resonated at the national level. Dimple thanked the people of Jammu and Kashmir, social organisations and various political parties for making the protest a success.
Claiming that a broad movement had emerged for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir, Dimple said he had united different organisations and political groups under a common platform to fight for the return of statehood and the restoration of Article 370.
Appealing for political unity, he urged the National Conference (NC), Congress, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to come together in support of restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
Dimple criticised the BJP, alleging that the party had backtracked on its assurances regarding the restoration of statehood. He further alleged that the Union Government had not demonstrated commitment towards restoring the erstwhile state.
He also alleged that the BJP’s 29 MLAs in Jammu and Kashmir had remained silent on the demand for statehood and claimed that demands for a separate Jammu state were weakening the movement for the restoration of the unified Jammu and Kashmir.
Rejecting proposals for separate Jammu and Kashmir states, Dimple asserted that Jammu and Kashmir should remain united. He further said that Ladakh, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Gilgit and Baltistan were integral parts of India and advocated their eventual unification with Jammu and Kashmir.
Among those present at the protest were Vikas, Mohinder Kumar, Lichi, Tarsem Lal, Ashok Sharma, Deepak, Dalep Kumar, Kala Singh, Surinder Kumar, Baba Kumar and several other Mission Statehood leaders and supporters.