The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has emerged as the only political entity besides the Left parties to take an unambiguous stand against carving up of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories and the abrogation of Article 370.

The party on Monday announced a day-long protest on August 22 at the Jantar Mantar against the Centre’s ‘isolation’ of Jammu and Kashmir and invited other parties to join it to protest the ‘unacceptable and unconscionable’ arrests and detention of political leaders in the border State.

The party demanded immediate release of the political leaders under detention in Jammu and Kashmir. In a brief statement, DMK President MK Stalin condemned the abrogation of Article 370 and said the detention of family members of political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir is unacceptable and unconscionable.

“The Central government has isolated Kashmir from India by imposing curfew, using repressive forces and implementing prohibitory orders. By cutting channels of communication, the government has unnecessarily created a hostile environment,” the DMK statement read.

Through an amendment which the Opposition, especially the DMK, has labelled as ‘legislative high-handedness’, the Parliament has effectively scrapped the enabling provision of Article 370 that channelled the implementation of Central laws and Constitutional provisions in Jammu and Kashmir with the concurrence of the State Legislature.

This was done when the State Legislature is not in existence and the border State is being ruled by the Centre. Parliament has also bifurcated into two separate Union Territories – one for Ladakh without a Legislative Assembly, and another for Jammu and Kashmir with a Legislative Assembly with curtailed powers.

Speaking in Parliament against the motion, DMK leader TR Baalu had said that the State Legislature is being converted into “two municipalities” without the concurrence of its people. All the top leaders of the State, including former chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah are under arrest.

comment COMMENT NOW