SRINAGAR: Senior CPI(M) leader, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court of India to rectify what he views as a grave injustice done to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
In a press conference held in Srinagar, Tarigami commended the legal representatives who have been fighting against what they deem an ‘unconstitutional’ assault on Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in the Supreme Court of India. He stressed that the people of the region are not seeking favors but rather the restoration of what rightfully belongs to them.
“Don’t do us any favor and we don’t seek any favor but return us which is ours and don’t give us anything that is not ours,” Tarigami said, referring to hearings in the Supreme Court of India regarding Article 370 and 35A.
“Our lawyers deserve commendation for the way they presented the case in the top court. We have high expectations from the top court and hope everything will be given back to us that has been snatched illegally and unconstitutionally,” Tarigami remarked .
Tarigami highlighted the historical significance of the restrictions on land ownership in the region, emphasising that it was the people of Jammu and Kashmir, including Dogras and Pandits, who had advocated and convinced Maharaja Hari Singh to prohibit outsiders from purchasing land there.
He expressed concerns that current developments are paving the way for the sale of their land and a change in the demographic makeup of Jammu and Kashmir.
“I hope that the Supreme Court of India will restore Article 370 that has been taken away from the people using illegal and unconstitutional means,” Tarigami concluded.
