New Delhi [India], August 5 : Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday marked the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 by reiterating the party's demand for restoring full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Ramesh highlighted that both Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the restoration of J-K's statehood, but the party has yet to receive a response.
Ramesh criticised PM Modi's communication style, stating that he doesn't respond to letters or attend all-party meetings. Instead, he uses platforms like 'Desh ke naam sandesh' to make public speeches
"It (Statehood) is our demand. Both LoPs - Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have written to the PM that full Statehood of J&K should be restored...We have not received any response. PM does not respond to any letter. He doesn't attend all party meetings...He makes election speeches in Parliament. But outside the Parliament, he sends 'Desh ke naam sandesh', Ramesh told ANI.
August 5 marks six years since the abrogation of Article 370, which rendered the state of its statehood, and converted the former state into two Union Territories- Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
In August 2019, the Central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, repealed Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, effectively ending the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The restoration of statehood has been a key demand from the regional political parties in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories in August 2019.
Earlier in the day, while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and party workers celebrated the successful completion of six years since the abrogation of Article, members of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Congress protested.
President Mehbooba Mufti termed August 5 as a black day not just for Kashmir but for the whole nation.
Led by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and Party leader Iltija Mufti, dozens of party workers gathered to protest against the abrogation of Article 370.
"We are protesting here, and thousands of police are deployed. This tells everything about the situation in Kashmir," Mehbooba Mufti said.
She further added, "Today is a black day not just for Jammu & Kashmir but also the entire country. On this day (5th August 2019), the ruling party used its brute majority to end Article 370 (in J&K) unconstitutionally...Even today, I would like to tell the people of the nation that they should wake up...Today, you are seeing SIR exercise being carried out in Bihar, the Election Commission has weaponised voters' list so that lakhs of people can be deprived of voting...There are attempts being made to change our demography...The same has started in Tamil Nadu with the addition of lakhs of new voters from outside the state."