Gupta accuses New Delhi of deliberately instigating disturbances in Jammu and Kashmir

• Says, detention of Mehraj Din Malik under PSA is contemptuous of the country’s constitution and democratic norms

JAMMU: Senior Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader and Provincial President of Jammu, Rattan Lal Gupta, today charged that the ongoing disturbances in the region are being deliberately engineered to delay the promised restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement issued from the party’s Provincial Headquarters at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan, Jammu, Gupta emphasized that the situation across the region is being intentionally destabilized to obstruct the restoration of statehood. “Take a look at what happened in Hazratbal. The law is clear: the revered emblem of our great nation belongs to government offices, not religious places. We have never seen such an emblem used in any religious institution or event. What prompted the installation of a plaque bearing the emblem at a revered shrine? Mosques, dargahs, gurudwaras, and temples are not political institutions,” Gupta remarked.

Gupta also condemned the detention of Doda legislator Mehraj Din Malik under the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA), describing the incident as part of a larger conspiracy to fuel disturbances across the region. “How can an elected representative, chosen by the people, be considered a threat to public safety? I fail to understand the logic behind this. At a time when the people of Doda, suffering from adverse weather conditions, need their representative, he has been unjustly detained. This is not just about Malik; it’s an insult to the entire electorate who voted for him. The charges against him are baseless and a clear affront to the constitution and democratic norms of our country,” Gupta stated.

He further pointed out that these actions clearly reflect a deliberate attempt by the powers that be to create disturbances in order to undermine the restoration of statehood. “Statehood should have been restored with the formation of the elected government, but it wasn’t. The BJP government is playing a game of hide-and-seek with this issue.

Their leadership, both in the Lok Sabha and outside, had assured the restoration of statehood, yet in reality, the people are being fed nothing but hollow promises. The government in Delhi must act and restore statehood, ensuring the region’s progress and potential. PM must remember is Mantra “PM said that he wants to remove Dil Ki Duri (the distance from Delhi)   & Delhi Ki Duri ( the distance from the heart)”. A stronger, happier Jammu and Kashmir is integral to a stronger India,” Gupta concluded.