JAMMU, Jul 8: Mission Statehood president Sunil Dimple on Wednesday intensified his campaign for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood by leading a protest rally on Rehari Chungi Road. The demonstrators raised slogans demanding the restoration of full statehood, Article 370, and the introduction of a bill in the forthcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
The protesters also raised demands concerning the reunification of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit-Baltistan with Jammu and Kashmir, urging the Union Government to take steps in that direction.
Addressing the gathering, Dimple said the Centre should immediately introduce legislation in Parliament to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, stating that the issue should not be delayed any further. He asserted that the prevailing situation in the Union Territory is peaceful and conducive for restoring democratic governance.
Dimple said that if the Centre failed to act, his organisation would intensify its agitation and stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. He said the proposed demonstration would focus on demands including the restoration of Article 370, restoration of statehood, implementation of the Instrument of Accession and Standstill Agreement conditions, and issues related to PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Appealing to political parties across Jammu and Kashmir, including the Congress, National Conference, PDP and other regional organisations, Dimple urged them to set aside political differences and unite on a common platform for the restoration of statehood. He said political competition could resume after achieving the common objective.
Claiming that the issue of statehood had already received judicial backing, Dimple alleged that despite the Supreme Court’s observations regarding the early restoration of statehood, the BJP-led Central Government had not fulfilled its commitment. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to honour the promise by introducing a statehood restoration bill during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Dimple also criticised the BJP over what he described as its lack of commitment towards restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. He reiterated that the Centre should act immediately, adding that continued delay would compel his organisation to launch a larger public movement.
Warning of intensified protests, Dimple announced that Mission Statehood would organise a massive agitation across Jammu and Kashmir if the demand remained unfulfilled. He also threatened to call for a Jammu Bandh and an indefinite agitation in support of restoring statehood. Besides statehood and Article 370, he also demanded the establishment of a Law University in Jammu.
Among those who participated in the protest were Rocky Kapoor, Sanjay Kumar, Nagender Chowdhry, Happy Kumar, Ashok Sharma, Shami Kumar and several other supporters of Mission Statehood.