Hundreds of people led by Chief Minister of Indian-occupied Kashmir shouted slogans and staged protests in New Delhi under the leadership of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The protesters demanded restoration of the disputed region’s statehood seven years after its semi-autonomy was abrogated through Article 370.
Protesters were stopped by the police from staging their demonstrations. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a post on X, where he uploaded videos and pictures of people holding posters and shouting slogans. In August 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked the partial autonomy of the Indian-occupied state, removed its statehood, and divided it into federally controlled territories, Muslim-majority Srinagar Valley with Jammu and Ladakh.
The government has since said statehood to the Himalayan region will be restored at the appropriate time but has not given a deadline. Abdullah and his party, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, demands statehood should be restored at the earliest in keeping with the government’s promise. BJP claims these protests are an attempt to divert attention from the governance failures of Abdullah’s government in IIOJK.
India and Pakistan both claim the authority over the Kashmir. India has accused Pakistan of aiding and supporting separatists who have battled security forces in Indian Kashmir, the accusations Islamabad denies.
The protest in New Delhi coincides with India’s Cockroach group, the Cockroach Janata Party’s protest the Indian Education Minister. India’s youth-led Cockroach movement said on Tuesday it would continue its anti-government protest but will not march again, a day after scores of supporters were injured in clashes with police who tried to stop their march on the parliament.
Delhi police said that nearly 180 people, including 118 security and police personals, and 60 protesters were injured on Monday when they clashed in central Delhi. The Cockroach Janata Party said that the founder of the Cockroach Janata Party said that more than 150 protesters were undergoing treatment in hospital. Thousands of protesters from Delhi and nearby cities and towns had joined the march on parliament, joining a movement that began online but has turned out to become the biggest challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third term.
Read more: Sonam Wangchuk Hospitalized on 21st Day of Hunger Strike Over India Exam Leak Protest
The Cockroach Janata Party has gained the support of millions of young Gen Z Indians who are demanding the resignation of Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the examination paper leaks that affected more than 2 million students in May. It was said the leaking of the papers for a national entrance test to medical school in May.
According to the reports, several protesters have been detained, and legal action would be initiated against them. Nearly 500 protesters gathered at the Jantar Mantar protest site in central Delhi on Tuesday, chanting slogans amid a mild retreat.
However, later, the founder Abhijeet Dipke said the march on the parliament was being called off as the group did not want more youth to be hurt, and he apologized to supporters, especially women, who said were beaten by male police officers. The Delhi police claimed that protesters behaved unruly, aggressive and violent behavior and deliberately violated the prohibitory orders enforced. The march was organized following the hunger strike of activist Sonam Wangchuk. Wangchuk began his hunger strike on June 28 but was forcibly moved to a hospital by the authorities on Sunday.
