Left parties protest against revoking spl status for J-K

The Left parties on Wednesday held a demonstration to protest against removal of the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370.

Senior Left leaders, including CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary D Raja, politburo member Brinda Karat, CPI MP Binoy Viswam, and general secretary NFIW Annie Raja marched from Mandi House to Parliament Street.

The protest was also joined by a large number of academics, doctors, students, youth advocates, prominent among them were professor Jean Dreze, Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, professor Apoorvanand.

"Protesting against the government's moves against the people of Jammu and Kashmir. What has happened to J-K is a prelude to the BJP's plans for India. Riding roughshod over Constitutional morality, liberties of citizens, fundamental rights and everything that defines India," Yechury said.

"The promise by the same government three years ago was to consult all the stakeholders before any decision on J-K. But now the same people have been jailed and cut-off from the rest of the country. All this threatens federalism and the unity and integrity of India," he said.

Parliament has given its nod to abolish the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and also to bifurcate it into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.