New Delhi/Srinagar: Opposition political parties held a public meeting in the Indian capital on Thursday, demanding the release of hundreds of activists detained in Kashmir and the immediate resumption of communication services.
The restive Kashmir valley was placed under a security and communications lockdown on the eve of the government’s move on August 5 to abrogate laws that gave the region greater autonomy and split it into two federally administered territories.
The opposition meeting came as restrictions on movement in Kashmir were relaxed in a few more areas but mobile and Internet connectivity remained suspended for the 18th day.
There were small, scattered protests in central areas of the region’s main city Srinagar, which remained tense with posters appearing in several areas in which separatist leaders called for a “massive march” on Friday to protest the government’s move.
Tensions between the nuclear-capable South Asian neighbours have spiked after India abrogated constitutional provisions that granted Jammu and Kashmir autonomy to make its own laws and restricted ownership of property and government jobs to people from the region. All top and second-rung leaders of political parties other than ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), separatist leaders, some leading Muslim clerics as well as social activists are among those arrested since August 4 and remain in custody.
“This was done to prevent any law and order situation,” a local government official said over phone, but he did not give any details of the number of people arrested.
Leaders from the Indian National Congress party, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Kashmir’s National Conference Party and others joined the Delhi protest meeting called by the Dravida Munnetra Khazhagam (DMK), a regional party from southern Tamil Nadu.
“If there is normalcy in Kashmir why did you stop us from going there to see for ourselves?” CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechuri asked.
Several opposition politicians were prevented from leaving the airport at Srinagar, the region’s main city, when they flew in over the past two weeks.
“You are hiding what is the reality there and this cannot continue,”Yechuri said.
The opposition leaders also demanded the lifting of restrictions on communication in the region and free access to the media.
“We have to recognise that this is no longer a democracy,” Congress party lawmaker and a former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said. — dpa
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