Diplomat Correspondent
Srinagar,(DD)Abrar Rashid, son of jailed Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, announced a 24-hour hunger strike beginning at 8 PM today in protest against the alleged denial of democratic rights to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to the media, Abrar said the protest is symbolic but necessary to highlight the continued political and civil suppression in the region. “The national parties, whether Congress or BJP, are debating the Emergency but have conveniently forgotten Kashmiris,” he remarked.
He criticized both past and present governments, accusing them of failing to restore Statehood and ignoring the plight of thousands of Kashmiri youth imprisoned across the country, including those held in Tihar Jail.
“The current regime asked for votes in the name of Article 370, but today, we are reduced to pleading for even basic democratic recognition,” Abrar said.
The protest comes amid a growing chorus for restoration of statehood and political rights in the Union Territory, with opposition voices intensifying both within and outside J&K(DD)