Nasir Khan
Srinagar, July 30 (NVI): The Apni Party J&K staged a significant protest in Srinagar today, demanding the restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir before holding any elections.
The protest, held in the heart of the city, saw a good number of party workers and supporters who echoed the calls for timely elections and the withdrawal of orders that empower the Lieutenant Governor (LG) with increased administrative authority.
Leading the protest, Apni Party senior vice president Gh Hassan Mir said that the party is committed to ensuring that the democratic rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir are upheld.
“We demand the immediate restoration of statehood. Elections should not be held until full statehood is restored, as promised by the central government. The people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve their democratic rights and dignity,” he stated.
The party leaders criticized the central government’s delay in restoring statehood and said that recent orders under J&K re-organisation act empowering LG must be withdrawn.
“We are not against the LG personally, but the powers vested in the LG’s office should be rolled back. The orders that centralize authority in the hands of the LG are detrimental to the spirit of democracy and self-governance,” they added.
They said that elections must held as per the given time frame but statehood must be restored before that.(News Vibes of India)
