Political parties in Jammu demand statehood, extension of Article 371 to J&K

Political leaders from various parties convened a meeting in Jammu on Monday followed by a demonstration advocating for the urgent reinstatement of statehood assembly elections and the extension of Article 371 to Jammu and KashmirKey demands also included the deportation of illegally settled immigrants the swift return and settlement of Kashmiri migrant pandits and the regularization of daily wagersThis gathering marked the first such meeting in Jammu since the Supreme Courts December 11 ruling upholding the abrogation of Article 370 by the Central Government in August 2019NPP Chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh speaking to PTI postmeeting emphasized the demand for the immediate restoration of statehood and the establishment of a democratically elected government in Jammu and Kashmir Singh accused the BJP of governing Jammu and Kashmir remotely asserting that the presence of bureaucrats unfamiliar with the region is contributing to growing alienation among the local populaceThe democratically elected government is also an antidote against militancy extremism and violence Singh added pledging his partys commitment to safeguarding the interests of the people of the Jammu regionManish Sahni President of Shiv Sena UBT Jammu and Kashmir stated that the meeting focused on crucial issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir particularly the Jammu region Topics discussed included the restoration of statehood extension of special status under Article 371 to JampK assembly elections deportation of illegal immigrants and the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrantsAlso read Unravelling Kashmirs political landscape post SCrsquos Article 370 verdictSahni mentioned that the meeting also called for the immediate removal of toll plazas from the JammuPathankot highway due to the high influx of pilgrims to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine as well as the regularization of daily wagersVijayant Pathania Jammu district president of DSSP expressed support for extending Article 371 to JampK to protect local land and job rights The meeting concluded with the decision to form a committee to highlight and implement the agenda on the groundSocial activist Anna Durani highlighted eight key points discussed during the meeting including safeguarding Dogra culture and heritage and advocating for the inclusion of Punjabi in the list of official languages The participants emphasized the need for unity and a sustained struggle to achieve the outlined eightpoint agenda With inputs from agencies