JAMMU, Jun 6: Mission Statehood President Sunil Dimple on Saturday led a protest rally at Rehari Chungi in Jammu, demanding the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and the reinstatement of Article 370. During the demonstration, he appealed to all political parties to unite and intensify the struggle for the restoration of the erstwhile state’s constitutional and political status.
Addressing the gathering, Dimple said he had been consistently fighting for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and Article 370 since August 5, 2019, when the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories and its special status was revoked.
He claimed that he had taken the matter to the Supreme Court and had continued his campaign despite facing arrests and imprisonment. Dimple alleged that he had observed hunger strikes while in custody as part of his movement for statehood restoration.
Speaking to protesters, Dimple said that political parties which had earlier remained silent on the issue were now openly demanding statehood and restoration of constitutional rights. He remarked that the demands he had been raising for years had now become part of the political agenda of several parties.
Dimple urged all political organizations to come together on a common platform and launch a united movement. He recalled having organized several protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in the past and expressed support for any collective effort aimed at restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and special status.
Welcoming the proposed protest by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and National Conference legislators in Delhi during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, Dimple said Mission Statehood would extend its support to the initiative.
He also criticized the BJP-led Central Government, alleging that it had failed to fulfil its commitments regarding the restoration of statehood. According to him, the Union Government and the Ministry of Home Affairs had not shown seriousness in addressing the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Dimple warned that if the demand for statehood continued to be ignored, he would call for a Jammu and Kashmir bandh and launch a large-scale agitation across the region. He further alleged that BJP legislators from Jammu and Kashmir had remained silent on the issue, thereby weakening the demand for restoration of the erstwhile state.
Among those present during the protest were Narender Chowdhery, Baba Gupta, Mohinder Kumar, Happy, Rocky Kapoor, S. Harjeet Singh, Shami, and several other supporters of the movement.