Srinagar, Feb 12 (KNS): Terming the peaceful protests by the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as “eye-opener” for India, the incarcerated Chairman, Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Shabir Ahmad Shah, on Friday said this proves that freedom of nations cannot be suppressed for long.
“The way the justice-loving people of India and its intellectual class are raising voice in favour of the oppressed Kashmiris and are supporting our stand makes it clear that the political freedom of nations cannot be suppressed for long,” Shah said in a statement to KNS.
“The protest by JNU students demanding the return of mortal remains of Shaheed Maqbool Bhat and Shaheed Afzal Guru and in favour of Kashmiris’ freedom struggle, is a good-omen for our freedom movement. The justice-loving people of India raised the voice on the very day Shaheed Afzal Guru was sent to gallows and the intellectual class expressed grief over the move.”
Shah said Indian government must accept the reality that it cannot continue its colonial approach, with regard to Kashmir, for long and has to fulfill the promises kept by its leadership with the people of Kashmir.
Terming the use of force by police upon the university students as “barbaric” and “unconstitutional”, Shah said time has come for India to acknowledge the reality and shun its unapologetic approach. “India cannot keep its people in dark.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel”
Lashing out at Indian media over “biased cries”, Shah said Indian rulers actually dance to the tunes of its subjective media and take decisions at its behest.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) while condemning the continuous house imprisonment of Shabir Ahmad Shah termed it “unconstitutional”.
“On one hand, the whole Valley has been turned into a virtual jail and on other side, undue restrictions have been imposed upon the movement of resistance leaders.
Giving details of Shah’s detention, the spokesperson said: “Till date, since 2015, he (Shah) was kept under house arrest for a period of 260 days during which he was barred from offering 46 Friday and 2 Eid prayers. This amounts a total of 30 months of house detention with restrictions on 182 Friday and 9 Eid prayers since his release in 2011. This year he was barred from offering 7 Friday prayers.”
“Such detention of Shabir Ahmad Shah clearly implies that administration is not willing to allow the resistance leadership to carry out its political activities and is reneging from its promises of providing space to its political opponents. A close vigil is maintained on every person who comes to visit Shah at his residence. Despite all this, the resistance leadership will continue to carry the freedom movement forward.” (KNS)