Muhammad Raafi
SRINAGAR
Independent lawmaker and Awami Ittihaad Party chief Er Rasheed Tuesday said that the state flag of Jammu and Kashmir should be hoisted across the state to “defeat colonial designs of New Delhi and promote Kashmiri patriotism”.
For third consecutive year, while unfurling the state flag in South Kashmir’s Islamabad, Rasheed said, “his move should send a message to the supporters of BJP leader Shyama Prasad Mukherjee who have been raising slogans of Ek Nishan Ek Vidhan.”
Notable to mention here, Rasheed’s move to hoist the J&K State Flag in South Kashmir is seen to attract voters when Islamabad goes to By-Polls on June 22. CM Ms Mehbooba Mufti is fighting the election to get in to the state legislature. Rasheed too has fielded his party man in the elections. The Langate lawmaker started hoisting state flag from 2015 from Municipal Park Srinagar. In 2015, he unfurled the flag in Pratap Park.
“We have got the state flag after the Delhi Agreement. The flag represents the sentiments of Kashmiris. We have fought for it. We will not allow anyone to play with the sanctity of this flag,” Rasheed told the audience who had gathered to witness the hoisting of flag in Wazeer Bagh Islamabad.
Lashing out at CM Ms Mehbooba Mufti, Rasheed alleged PDP being the B-Team of right wing saffron party, RSS. “Main Mehbooba ko Nagpur ki Nagin nahi banney doonga,” he added.
On June 7, 1952, Jammu and Kashmir got its own flag after the J&K Constituent Assembly passed the resolution brought by Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah about the flag.
Rasheed said that the Union government should restore the 1952 Delhi Agreement in letter and spirit and demanded that June 7 be declared as the state flag day. “Kashmiris will not rest unless 1952 Delhi Agreement is restored and respected by New Delhi in letter and spirit…,” he said.
As the prime minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Sheikh had tabled resolution in the Constituent Assembly, saying the state flag would be rectangular in shape and red in colour with three equidistant vertical strips of equal width next to the staff and a white plough in the middle with its’ handle facing the strips.
Jammu and Kashmir anthem written by National Conference ideologue Moulana Masoodi was also sung on the occasion.
Asserting that “J&K flag is as important as the flag of India”, Rasheed said, “We need to safeguard the same till the freedom of Kashmir.”
Rasheed demanded that the government should declare June 7 as state holiday and hoist flag on all the government premises, including Kashmir house in Delhi.
