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The Hindu
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Congress launches hunger strike in Srinagar demanding restoration of J&K statehood
The Jammu and Kashmir Congress leader on Saturday (August 9, 2025) sat a hunger strike in Srinagar to press for the restoration of the Union Territory's statehood. The strike was launched by Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Karra at the party's head office at M A Road in Srinagar. Karra and other senior leaders of the party, including AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir and party MLAs, joined the hunger strike. A similar hunger strike will be observed in Jammu on Sunday. The hunger strike is part of the party's campaign 'hamari riyasat, hamara haq' to press for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, which was downgraded and bifurcated into two Union territories — J&K and Ladakh — on August 5, 2019, by the Centre. The Centre also abrogated Articles 370 and 35A that day. Speaking to reporters, Karra said the party has launched a "struggle to awaken the blind, deaf and dumb government in Delhi". "We selected this day as it is the day when the 'Quit India Movement' was launched. From August 9 to 21, the party will observe six hunger strikes across various districts of J-K," he said. The JKPCC president said the peaceful hunger strike has been launched for the wishes and aspirations of the 1.40 crore citizens of J&K. He said that as the Parliament session is going on, the party would wait for any development related to the restoration of J&K's statehood. "If there is no development, then on August 21 (when the session ends), a new programme will be given," he added.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
J&K Congress hunger strike: Tariq Karra begins campaign; demands restoration of statehood
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Karra, on Saturday, began a hunger strike in Srinagar, demanding the restoration of the Union territory's statehood. The protest, part of the party's 'Hamari Riyasat, Hamara Haq' campaign, was launched at the JKPCC headquarters on M A Road. Senior party leaders, including AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir and several Congress MLAs, joined Karra in the demonstration. A similar hunger strike will be held in Jammu on Sunday, PTI reported. The movement seeks to reverse the Centre's 5 August 2019 decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's special status by abrogating Articles 370 and 35A, and to downgrade and bifurcate the former state into two Union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Karra said the party has launched a 'struggle to awaken the blind, deaf and dumb government in Delhi'. 'We selected this day as it is the day when the 'Quit India Movement' was launched. From August 9 to 21, the party will observe six hunger strikes across various districts of J-K,' he said. Karra emphasised that the peaceful protest was being held for the wishes and aspirations of the 1.40 crore citizens of J-K. He added that with the Parliament session currently underway, the party would wait to see if there was any progress on the restoration of statehood. 'If there is no development, then on August 21 (when the session ends), a new programme will be given,' he said.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Protests mark sixth anniversary of Art 370 revocation in J&K
Protests and condemnation on Tuesday marked the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019. Congress leaders and workers stage during a protest on Tuesday. (PTI) Though Valley-based political parties termed it a 'black day', the Congress held protests in all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir for the restoration of statehood. The ruling National Conference and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held protests in Srinagar. In Jammu the protest was led by the working president Raman Bhalla, along with former minister Lal Singh, Mula Ram, Yogesh Sawhney, chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, AICC secretary Shah Nawaz Chaudhary, Rajnish Sharma and several others. The protest was held in front of the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh at Tawi Bridge. On the sixth anniversary of revocation of Article 370, parties in Jammu and Kashmir staged vociferous protests and called the BJP government's move 'a unilateral and arbitrary decision, which has gone down as black day in the annals of history'. 'It's a black day for us. Not only were our rights snatched six years ago but our state was also divided into two UTs. On the sixth anniversary, we are holding protests in all 20 districts of J&K and demanding the restoration of statehood at the earliest,' J&K Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra said. The National Conference held a protest at its party headquarters in Srinagar against the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A. Party leaders and workers carrying placards raised slogans demanding the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and constitutional rights. A petition filed in the Supreme Court for the restoration of statehood is scheduled to be heard on August 8. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who was not allowed to take out a march along with party workers in Srinagar, said: 'August 5 marks a black day not just for Jammu and Kashmir, but also for the entire nation. On this day, the Constitution was subverted not by foreign hands, but from within, by a brute majority in the heart of our democracy. The unconstitutional abrogation of J&K's special status was not an end, it was the beginning of a broader assault on constitutional values,' the former chief minister posted on X. Peoples Conference president and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone put out a defiant message, calling August 5 a 'brutal reminder of the undermining of democracy and an ugly example of selective targeting'. Reflecting on the day that altered Jammu and Kashmir's constitutional status, he said: 'Whatever little was left from the glories of the past was taken away.' Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari, who was the first leader from the Valley to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah after the revocation of Article 370, termed the anniversary 'a painful reminder of our recent history'. 'New Delhi must uphold the dignity and democratic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The restoration of these rights is not an act of generosity, it is a constitutional and moral obligation,' he said, adding the region had gone through a prolonged phase of violence and bloodshed. 'People have suffered immensely over the past decades, and therefore they long for peace, justice, and dignity — fundamental aspirations that can no longer be ignored. This is the right time for New Delhi to initiate a genuine, inclusive, and meaningful dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir to address their issues and grievances and move toward a lasting resolution.' Congress will intensify struggle: Raman Bhalla Raman Bhalla lashed out at the BJP government for the betrayal despite repeated promises for early restoration of statehood. 'Six years ago BJP snatched statehood from people and promised early restoration but today is sixth anniversary and it has not been restored despite Supreme Court directions. Congress will intensify the struggle for restoration of complete statehood and 'Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq' movement shall continue till we achieve our goal of full statehood,' he said. Lal Singh cornered BJP for its authoritarian style at the Centre and said 'statehood is our basic right'. 'BJP has destroyed the Dogra identity, status and dignity and insulted Dogra rulers,' he said. 'Our land, jobs and resources are being looted ruthlessly,' he added. NC also held a protest near Raghunath Mandir in the Jammu city and other district headquarters. A large protest rally from Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan, the party's provincial headquarters, proceeded towards the city centre. The protest was led by provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta and former minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra besides others. Addressing the gathering, the party leadership described August 5, 2019, as a dark day in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, when the constitutional rights of its people were unilaterally revoked without their consent. 'The decisions taken on August 5, 2019, are unacceptable to us. We will continue our peaceful and democratic struggle for the restoration of our constitutional rights. It was claimed that these decisions would bring development and parity with other states but the reality is starkly different. Unlike other diverse regions of our country, which enjoy their rightful place under India's federal structure, Jammu and Kashmir continues to be denied its status and rights,' said Rattan Lal Gupta.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Youm-e-Ishtehsal observed
People across K-P and Balochistan on Tuesday observed Youm-e-Ishtehsal Kashmir and staged rallies and demonstration on Tuesday to express solidarity with Kashmiris and condemn the atrocity of Indian security forces against them. In this connection, a procession was staged on Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Road. The procession participated by a large number of students, teachers, civil society, trading and lawyers' communities was led by Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi. Advisor to KP Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations, Barrister Dr Mohammad Ali Saif also participated in the rally. Addressing the participants of the rally, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said, six years have passed since the barbaric abolition of the special status of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu Kashmir (IIOJK) by India. Meanwhile, K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur strongly condemned the atrocities committed by India against the people of occupied Kashmir, particularly the unilateral revocation of Kashmir's special status by the Indian government over the past six years. Balochistan Balochistan Governor Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, expressed unwavering solidarity with the people of IIOJK on the occasion of Youm-e-Istehsal, marking six years since India revoked Articles 370 and 35A of its constitution. In a statement issued here on Tuesday, CM Bugti described August 5, 2019, the day when the Indian government revoked Article 370 of its constitution, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special status as a "symbol of India's illegal occupation and suppression of Kashmiri rights."
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Protests mark sixth anniversary of Article 370 revocation in Kashmir
Protests and condemnation on Tuesday marked the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019. Congress supporters demanding the restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir during a protest in Srinagar on Tuesday. (AFP Photo) Though Valley-based political parties termed it a black day, the Congress held protests in all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir for the restoration of statehood. The ruling National Conference and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held protests in Srinagar. 'It's a black day for us. Not only were our rights snatched six years ago but our state was also divided into two UTs. On the sixth anniversary, we are holding protests in all 20 districts of J&K and demanding the restoration of statehood at the earliest,' J&K Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra said. The National Conference held a protest at its party headquarters in Srinagar against the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A. Party leaders and workers carrying placards raised slogans demanding the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and constitutional rights. The clamour for statehood has grown louder and political parties have been demanding that the Centre give a timeframe. A petition filed in the Supreme Court for the restoration of statehood is scheduled to be heard on August 8. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who was not allowed to take out a march along with party workers in Srinagar, said: 'August 5 marks a black day not just for Jammu and Kashmir, but also for the entire nation. On this day, the Constitution was subverted not by foreign hands, but from within, by a brute majority in the heart of our democracy. The unconstitutional abrogation of J&K's special status was not an end, it was the beginning of a broader assault on constitutional values,' the former chief minister posted on X. She said that Jammu and Kashmir was turned into a laboratory its people disempowered, its land dispossessed, its demography targeted. 'What many saw as a local issue was a warning for all. Today, that warning is unfolding across the country. In Bihar (SIR) threatens to disenfranchise lakhs. From Tamil Nadu to Kashmir non-local voters are being added en masse, paving the way for demographic manipulation and electoral distortion. If India does not wake up now, what began in J&K will soon define the nation.' Peoples Conference president and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone put out a defiant message, calling August 5 a 'brutal reminder of the undermining of democracy and an ugly example of selective targeting'. Reflecting on the day that altered Jammu and Kashmir's constitutional status, he said: 'Whatever little was left from the glories of the past was taken away.' However, he still voiced belief in justice and eventual restoration, asserting, 'I will never lose hope. We will get what has been taken away. If the glories don't last, the inglorious won't last either,' Lone said in a statement. Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari, who was the first leader from the Valley to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah after the revocation of Article 370, termed the anniversary 'a painful reminder of our recent history'. 'New Delhi must uphold the dignity and democratic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The restoration of these rights is not an act of generosity, it is a constitutional and moral obligation,' he said, adding the region had gone through a prolonged phase of violence and bloodshed. 'People have suffered immensely over the past decades, and therefore they long for peace, justice, and dignity — fundamental aspirations that can no longer be ignored. This is the right time for New Delhi to initiate a genuine, inclusive, and meaningful dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir to address their issues and grievances and move toward a lasting resolution.'
