New Delhi, Sept 30 (KNS) : Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi has conveyed that incarcerated MP Baramulla Er Rashid will begin a two-day hunger strike from tomorrow, expressing deep concern over the violent incidents in Ladakh and drawing sharp parallels with the events of August 5, 2019.
In a Statement issued, Speaking to his family hours before beginning the hunger strike, incarcerated MP Er Rashid said the loss of lives was painful and stressed that “violence has no place and justification in any society.” He extended solidarity with the people of Ladakh but reminded them that they had celebrated the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A and the division of Jammu & Kashmir into two union territories in 2019.
“They must recall how their leaders praised the Modi government, how their then MP received applause from BJP members in Parliament while misleading the nation on abrogation. Today, the same Ladakhis are demanding restoration of the very rights they once celebrated being snatched away,” Er Rashid remarked.
He stressed that if Ladakhis are serious about reclaiming statehood, “the only realistic way forward is through reunification with Jammu and Kashmir.”
Inam Un Nabi also reminded BJP led government that while arresting Sonam Wangchuk, the government followed a similar pattern which it used while arresting Er Rashid in 2019.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel“Anyone who speaks for the rights of the people is suddenly branded anti-national and silenced,” he said.
Er Rashid said, “Kashmiri leaders must learn their lessons and so should the BJP from the Ladakh unrest. The developments in Ladakh have exposed the BJP’s narrative on abrogation as false and unsustainable.”
According to him, while three lakh Ladakhis are being heard by the Centre, opposition parties, media and civil society, the voices of two crore people of Jammu and Kashmir remain silenced. “We are branded as anti-nationals and proxies only because our so-called regional parties have chosen to stand silently with Modi’s government, selling out their conscience and even the sacrifices of Kashmiris for the lure of power,” Er Rashid said.
Inam Un Nabi quoted Er Rashid as directly questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah: “Why is the government offering dialogue to Ladakhis despite violence in that region, yet muzzling the peaceful voices of Kashmiris who seek legitimate resolution of outstanding issues?”
The AIP Chief Spokesperson said the hunger strike is both a protest against this selective approach and a reminder of the continuing betrayal of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.(KNS)