Early Times Report
JAMMU, Aug 24: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) on Saturday condemned BJP Government for not allowing AICC former President Rahul Gandhi to visit Kashmir valley where he was stopped and sent back to New Delhi from Srinagar International Airport.
In a joint statement, JKPCC senior leaders former minister Manjit Singh and district presidents Vikram Malhotra and Shabbir Ahmed khan reacted sharply to the attitude of the Government where they did not allow and "allegedly behaved harshly with the former AICC former President Rahul Gandhi."
"In a democratic country like India, one cannot imagine the treatment to opposition leaders where their rights for political activities are denied under the present Government in Centre, and opposition is not allowed to speak up. Only one political party and its affiliated groups are doing their activities and speaking to media, rest all are barred in Jammu and Kashmir, especially," said the joint statement of Congress leaders, who expressed their unhappiness.
Rahul Gandhi was leading delegation of all opposition leaders to Kashmir valley, but he was stopped at the Srinagar International Airport and media, too, was not allowed.
They said "Opposition parties are being stopped in J&K to disclose disappointment among the people especially businessmen who have been suffering since August 5 (after the restrictions were imposed, and communication lines were snapped hours before the scrapping of Art 370 and bifurcation of State into two Union Territories)."
The Government is using government machinery to snub the opposition voices and put them under house arrest. "It is like undeclared emergency in Jammu and Kashmir, which needs, to be removed so that normal life is restored," they said.
"If things are so normal as being projected by the Modi Government, why don't they remove restrictions from mobile phone, internet services and allow political activities and pressers of the opposition leaders," they said.
In the larger interest of democracy to prevail, the voice of the opposition should be heard. "Opposition being part of the society, we have to bring out what people are feeling," they said, citing example that JKPCC chief GA Mir has also been put under house arrest.
Even as days have passed, they said, the Government has not allowed opposition leaders especially Congress Party to speak up or hold press conference. |
