Lift siege on Kashmir, release all political leaders: NC

JAMMU: The NC on Saturday reiterated its demand of lifting siege on Jammu and Kashmir and releasing its party leaders including president Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah from "continued detention" after "robbing" of the special entity of the state.

The Centre had on August 5 revoked the provisions of Article 370, which gave special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir.

"The idea of secular and democratic India is in peril in this part of the country which is undergoing (the) most traumatic phase in its history," senior leaders of the National Conference said in a resolution adopted at a meeting at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here.


The leaders expressed anguish over "detention" of hundreds of party leaders in the Valley, Jammu region and Ladakh, saying it was "chilling and unprecedented".

The prevailing situation is worse than the 1975 emergency with the tragic difference of Jammu and Kashmir losing its identity and stature, they said.

The dejected people, irrespective of region and religion, are feeling deprived of their existence in the wake of harsh measures unleashed by the BJP, they added.

History will remember these as "Himalayan blunders", they said, adding that muzzling the voice people is a blot on the largest democracy of the world.

With restrictions imposed on the movement of senior provincial leaders, the meeting was chaired by state secretary Rattan Lal Gupta and participated by over 20 leaders.