It is “deeply regrettable” that the Supreme Court has not even begun hearings on petitions pertaining to abrogation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir even nearly three years after the Centre revoked it, Opposition’s candidate for the upcoming Presidential elections, Yashwant Sinha, said in Srinagar on Saturday. Flanked by former J&K chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah, Sinha said, “Long pendency of constitutional cases erodes the credibility of the apex court.” Calling for restoration of statehood to J&K, Sinha said free and fair elections to the Assembly should be held at the earliest. “I am opposed to the forcible manipulative demographic changes in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. “The Centre has failed in its promise to create conditions for the safe and dignified return and resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits. It must fulfil this promise not only for Kashmiri Pandits but also for all those who are forced to migrate out of Kashmir due to disturbed conditions here.” Sinha also condemned what he said is a “malicious and false portrayal of Kashmiri people and unpatriotic in a section of mainstream national media”. He said people of Kashmir have suffered a lot due to terrorism and violence of various types, and their desire for peace must be fulfilled. He said there are no bigger patriots than Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and the other leaders present at Saturday's meeting. “If these are not patriotic people, none of us have a right to claim any patriotism towards our country,” he said. Reiterating his solidarity with the people and political parties of J&K in their struggle for “peace, justice disunity, human rights and other rights guaranteed to them in the Constitution of India”, Sinha also stated that on June 24, 2020 Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised leaders of political parties from the UT that he would take steps to remove “dil ki doori, and Dilli ki doori (distance of the hearts, and distance from Delhi).” But, he added, more than two years have passed and the promise remains unfulfilled. Sinha also urged NDA Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu to make the “same promises and affirmation” as he has made. “People of Jammu and Kashmir also expect this assurance from her,” he said. He said that if elected, one of his priorities would be to ask the government to take all necessary to resolve the Kashmir issue, to restore peace, justice, democracy, normalcy and end the hostile development towards Jammu and Kashmir.
