JAMMU, Sep 23: Mission Statehood president Sunil Dimple, along with hundreds of supporters, led a protest rally in Jammu demanding restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and raising a series of demands concerning the region’s constitutional and administrative status.
Addressing the protesters, Dimple called for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and demanded that issues concerning Article 370, domicile provisions and the terms of the Instrument of Accession be debated in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. He also called for the restoration of the earlier state-subject system and cancellation of domiciles that, according to him, have been issued to outsiders.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 reorganised the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Dimple urged all MLAs to debate the question of restoration of statehood during the Assembly session and questioned why the Union government had not yet restored Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. He also alleged that disruptions and differences among political parties in the Assembly were diverting attention from issues concerning youth and the general public.
He alleged that the BJP-led Union government had failed to fulfil commitments relating to restoration of statehood and urged the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister to act on the issue. In the 2023 Article 370 judgment, the Supreme Court recorded the Union government’s submission that statehood would be restored to Jammu and Kashmir, while the Court also upheld the reorganisation that created the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Dimple further raised concerns about employment opportunities and economic issues in Jammu and Kashmir following the 2019 constitutional changes. He announced that his organisation could consider a Jammu and Kashmir-wide “bandh” call in support of its demands for restoration of statehood and special status.
He appealed to political parties to come together on a common platform on the question of restoration of statehood. He also spoke about his demand for the eventual reunification of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan-occupied territories and Gilgit-Baltistan, describing these areas as part of India.
The protesters also raised demands concerning the protection of local interests, employment and domicile-related policies.
Other leaders present on the occasion included Vikas, Mohinder Kumar, Lichi, Tarsem Lal, Ashok Sharma, Deepak, Dalep Kumar, S. Kala Singh, Surinder Kumar and Baba Kumar, among others.