Bad day, say Muslim parties ruing downgrading of J and K state to UT

Professor KM Kader Mohideen, National president, Indian Union Muslim League, in a statement, said, “Today is one of the sorrowful days and a black day in the rule of BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is claiming today as an Ache Din (a good day) has actually delivered one of the bad days for democracy and federalism.”

He also said that similar to special status accorded to Jammu Kashmir under Article 370 of Indian Constitution, special status had been given to all the North Eastern states such as Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, but special status had been removed only for Jammu and Kashmir. If terrorism is quoted as the reason for stripping off the special status to Jammu and Kashmir the north eastern states are also affected by naxalism and separatism but the Centre had not taken any action on them, said Mohideen.

Tamil Nadu Muslim League (TNML) also condemned the BJP for trying to create division on communal lines in Jammu and Kashmir. “Jammu is thickly populated by Hindus while Muslims are numerical majority in Kashmir. Ladakh is a region dominated by Buddhists and there is a strong doubt that whether BJP is trying to divide Kashmiris based on religion and is following divide and rule policy,” said VMS Mustafa, founder president, TNML.

He also said that at the time when all the union territories are demanding statehood, the Centre had reduced the status of Jammu and Kashmir from being a state to Union Territory, which is highly condemnable.

Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) also opposed the move of Centre to remove special status of Jammu and Kashmir and decided to stage protest in front of the Governor’s office, on Tuesday.