JAMMU: All Party United Front (APUF), a Jammu-based amalgam of over a dozen opposition political and social parties, staged a demonstration here on Saturday to press for restoration of statehood ahead of the Supreme Court set September 30 deadline for holding of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.The protesters, including senior members of the Congress, National Conference, PDP, CPI (M) and Shiv Sena (UBT), assembled outside the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh near Tawi bridge in the heart of the city, also seeking rollback of a recent Central government order providing more powers to the lieutenant governor.”The main opposition parties, minus BJP and its cohorts, have come together to convey a strong message that we want immediate restoration of the full statehood before holding of the assembly elections along with democratic rights to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Pradesh Congress Committee senior vice-president Ravinder Sharma said.He accused the BJP-led Central government of “shamelessly downgrading” the historic Dogra state and snatching the “status, dignity, identity and rights” of people.”The BJP is on record having promised restoration of statehood to the people of J&K in Parliament and the Supreme Court. It failed to keep its promise and also hold assembly polls in the last six years.Now when the Supreme Court set the deadline for assembly elections draws nearer, it has given more powers to the Lt Governor to continue its proxy rule,” Sharma said.Last month, the Union Home Ministry gave more powers to the lieutenant governor by amending rules framed under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.This act, passed alongside the abrogation of Article 370, bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
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