Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir is set to witness a political face-off on July 20, as the ruling National Conference (NC) and the BJP hold separate protests over different issues.
The NC will stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, demanding the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, while the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit will organise a gherao of the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar against the Omar Abdullah government’s outsourcing policy.
The NC has invited 56 leaders from across the country, including the Congress president, leaders of several opposition parties and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, to join the demonstration on the first day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the protest would be held regardless of whether the Delhi administration grants permission.
“The venue or the mode may change, but the Delhi programme will not change,” Omar said, asserting that the party would not hold its protest discreetly.
Soon after taking office, the Omar Abdullah-led cabinet passed a resolution seeking the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood in its original form. The resolution was sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other GoI leaders. However, according to the NC, there has been no movement on the demand so far.
The Jammu and Kashmir Congress has confirmed its participation in the protest. However, the PDP and several other Kashmir-based opposition parties are unlikely to join. NC MP Aga Ruhullah has also decided to stay away, saying the party received a mandate to fight for the restoration of Article 370 and should prioritise that issue over statehood.
Meanwhile, the BJP has announced a Secretariat gherao on the same day, accusing the Omar Abdullah government of making appointments through outsourcing.
“The BJP activists will gherao the Secretariat to protest the Omar government’s outsourcing policy. Around 25,000 jobs have allegedly been given through the backdoor under the outsourcing policy, which is an injustice to unemployed youth,” BJP spokesperson Manzoor Bhat said.
He claimed that nearly 10,000 BJP workers from across the Kashmir Valley are expected to participate in the protest.
Bhat said the youth of Jammu and Kashmir deserve recruitment based on merit rather than outsourcing or backdoor appointments. He appealed to young people to join the protest and demand transparent recruitment and justice for job seekers.
The BJP has also invited trade unions, civil society organisations, youth groups, employee associations and other public bodies to take part in the demonstration.
According to the party, the protest will demand an end to appointments through outsourcing, transparent and merit-based recruitment, prevention of backdoor appointments and recruitment irregularities, protection of employment opportunities for educated youth, greater accountability and transparency in governance, and safeguarding the interests of deserving job aspirants across the Union Territory.
