On first anniversary of abrogation of Art 370, BJP women leaders hoist tricolour in Kashmir

Raouf Dar

SRINAGAR, August 5: Several women BJP leaders Wednesday hoisted tricolor in Kashmir to celebrate the first anniversary of abrogation of Article 370.

Rabiya Rasool, who is BJP district president Mahila Morcha Ganderbal district, hoisted the tricolor in Ganderbal.

“August 5 is a special day for Kashmiris when Article 370 was abrogated. The Government of India took this decision for the development of Jammu and Kashmir,” she told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

She hails from upper reaches of Kangan area in Ganderbal district.

The young BJP leader said she received threats from militants over the years.

“I hoisted the tricolor to send a message of peace on August 5, the day which will be remembered forever,” she said, who is  class 12th school drop.

She has a father, mother, five sisters and brother in her family.

“But only I am associated with the BJP,” she said, who has been associated with the BJP since 2014.

She said abrogation of Article 370 was mandatory for the development of Jammu and Kashmir. “Businessmen can set up industries in Kashmir which will provide employment to the youth,” she said.

A BJP leader and councilor Rumaisa Rafiq also unfurled the tricolour in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

“On this day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah took the decision in favour of Jammu and Kashmir by abrogating Article 370. BJP has and will always support this decision. We (women) can now get equal rights and opportunities,” she said.

Her husband is also associated with the BJP. She joined the BJP in 2014. “BJP’s slogan is Ek Nishan, Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan,” she said.

Mubeena Akhtar, who is also a social activist from Gulmarg in North Kashmir’ Baramulla district is another lady, has all praise for the Centre for abrogation of Article 370.

“We (women) would face a lot of problems. Women who married outside Kashmir were not getting their share in the property. Now girls can get equal rights,” she said.

While on the other side, many women leaders including Mehbooba Mufti are under detention for the last one year.

Many parties had called to observe August 5 as ‘black-day’ in Kashmir. The government had imposed strict restrictions to foil any attempts of protests.

Former chief minister Omar Abdullah has called the celebration of August 5 by the BJP as hypocrisy while not even allowing the other leaders to discuss what is happening in J&K.

“BJP displaying its hypocrisy. They can gather & celebrate. The rest of us can’t even meet to discuss what’s happening in J&K,” he said in a Tweet.

In another Tweet, he wrote, “One year later the authorities are still too afraid to allow us to meet much less carry out any normal political activity. This fear speaks volumes about the true situation on the ground in Kashmir.”

His father, Farooq Abdullah had called a meeting of leaders of mainstream parties on Wednesday to deliberate on the current situation.(KINS)