Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (File photo)
SRINAGAR: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah’s invitation to 52 national and regional politicians to join the July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to demand the restoration of Jammu & Kashmir’s statehood has evoked strong reactions. Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called for broadening the protest’s agenda, while BJP tore into NC, saying it would not join separatists and those responsible for the deaths of Kashmiri teenagers during the 2010 unrest.On Thursday, Farooq sent letters to 52 people, describing the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K state into two Union Territories on Aug 5, 2019, as a “deeply flawed decision”, and appealing to them to join NC’s “peaceful, democratic protest” for the “cause of federalism”. The recipients included Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, M K Stalin, Mehbooba Mufti, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and J&K BJP chief Sat Sharma, among others.Addressing the Friday gathering at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid, Mirwaiz said the protest should have been for restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, the release of “hundreds of Kashmiri political prisoners lodged in different jails” across the country, and also for seeking peaceful “political resolution of Kashmir issue”. PDP confirmed the invite to Mehbooba and said the party would respond after due deliberation.BJP, however, rejected the invite and went all guns blazing at Omar Abdullah govt. “Why should we go with NC, a party neck deep in corruption? Why should we stand with those who fired at the chests of Tufail Mattoo and Wamiq Farooq?” leader of opposition Sunil Sharma said, referring to the 2010 unrest.Wamiq and Tufail were among more than 100 people, mostly youths, killed in police firing during the 2010 unrest, when NC govt headed by Omar Abdullah was in office. The deaths triggered months of widespread protests across Kashmir.“Why should we go with those who killed 110 people… who fired on children and then filed a report that they were drug peddlers,” Sharma said.“They have no moral right to ask us to join them,” the BJP legislator added. “They are going (to Delhi for the protest) with those who spread separatism in J&K and Mirwaiz is its first example.”Sharma said the restoration of statehood was part of the BJP manifesto and the party would fulfil its promise.Omar says CJP got Jantar Mantar protest permit, NC still waitsJ&K CM Omar Abdullah Friday said NC was yet to get permission for its July 20 protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. “We have been seeking permission for the past five days. It took 24 hours for the ‘Cockroach Party’ to get permission, and we are still waiting for the past five days,” he said.Omar also alleged attempts to disrupt the NC protest. “They have changed their dates and proposed holding their programme on the same day as ours,” he said.
