Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to the people of Kashmir: Sajad Lone

Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) chairman Sajjad Gani Lone on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to the people of Kashmir and adopt an “Indian-ness” policy to bring them into the mainstream.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Lone stated that the BJP’s current approach in Kashmir is counterproductive. “The problem is that the BJP has a BJP policy in Kashmir. Through that BJP policy, they get votes across the country but they don’t have an India policy in Kashmir, for Indian-ness to get Kashmiris into the mainstream,” he said.

When asked what the BJP could do to address this issue, Lone emphasised the importance of an apology from the Prime Minister.

“The Prime Minister should apologise to the people of Kashmir and say that inadvertently, maybe, we might have done things that might have humiliated you. We might have done things that might have hurt you. We did it unintentionally. He should assure them that they are an integral part of India, it would make a significant difference. Give us another chance. And I’m telling you, if you (PM) use these words, everything will be fine. What you need are words,” he said.

Regarding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Lone clarified that it can only be achieved through parliamentary action.

“See, statehood can only be restored by the Parliament. We can’t. And I think there should be a policy for all the people who are elected that beyond a certain time, if they don’t give us state back, then we should stop. We should leave the assembly. There is no point in being a part of an assembly, which is humiliation. I think one year or two years or six months or three months after that, we should all en masse resign and leave,” Sajjad Lone said.

He further pushed his demand to restore statehood and warned that if the Centre fails to meet their demands, they will not be a part of this assembly.

“This will be our political response; that’s fine if you don’t want to give us; we don’t want to be a part of this assembly. Because this will make people think that we are not delivering. That I think we should not do. We should not betray our people beyond a certain time. If we don’t get statehood, there should be a clear unanimity that we should then leave. This is what I believe,” he added.

The JKPC chief also highlighted the importance of statehood for economic development in Kashmir.

“We can only work towards an economic Kashmir if we have statehood, because without it, there is very little you can do. You can’t pass money bills; you can’t pass anything,” he said.

In August 2019, the government of India abrogated Article 370, effectively ending J-K’s special status and reorganising into two Union Territories (UTs) — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) chairman Sajad Gani Lone said on Tuesday that all the politicians of Jammu and Kashmir were brushed aside after the abrogation of Article 370.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, he said, “We do not matter. Well, post-2019, no Jammu and Kashmir politician has actually mattered. They have been put on the sidelines. It is a total bureaucracy. There is an administration bereft of any politicians. Remotely, no person elected by the people is anywhere there.”

“You won’t believe it. Even for normal functions like Republic Day functions and Independence Day functions, they don’t invite politicians anymore. So there is literally political apartheid for the last, what, five years. For all political parties. It’s not specifically for one political party,” he said.

He stated that the BJP-ruled Centre’s decision to relegate the status of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories was the worst type of humiliation and he felt very bad about it.

“I actually, you know, believe that they should not have removed Article 370. I believe they should not have removed Article 35A. And the worst type of humiliation was relegating one of the most powerful states in India, an economically and politically empowered state in India, to a UT. And I feel very bad about it. As an inhabitant of this erstwhile state of J&K, I feel very bad,” Lone said.

He further said that when Article 370 was abrogated, they were the first party to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court while being in jail.

“I was in jail like all others when Article 370 was abrogated. From the jail, we were the first party to go and file a case in the court; you know, challenge it in the Supreme Court,” Lone added.

In August 2019, the government of India abrogated Article 370, effectively ending Jammu and Kashmir J&K’s special status and reorganising into two Union Territories (UTs) — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls will be held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1.

There are a total number of 90 assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which 7 seats are reserved for SCs and 9 seats are reserved for STs.

According to the Election Commission of India, Jammu and Kashmir has 88.06 lakh eligible electors. These are the first assembly elections to be held in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. (ANI)