National Conference’s youth wing on Monday demanded the release of the youths detained in jails in and outside Jammu and Kashmir since August last year and said there could not be a complete redemption of the situation in the union territory until the democratic rights of the people are restored. It also demanded the restoration of the constitutional safeguards pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir. A meeting of the Youth National Conference functionaries took place at party headquarters Nawa-e-Subha here. The meeting was presided over by National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah, an NC spokesman said. “The participants of the meeting unanimously sought the release of all the incarcerated youth languishing inside and outside J-K since August 5 last year, saying there could not be complete redemption of the situation in J-K until the democratic rights of the people are restored, detainees released, gags on activities of political parties removed and the constitutional safeguards pertaining to J-K restored,” he said. The meeting started with offering tributes to senior party leader Thakur Rachpal who passed away in Jammu earlier in the day, the spokesman said. He said the participants deliberated on the aftermath of “unilateral and unconstitutional” measures of the Centre undertaken on August 5 last year when the J-K”s special status was abrogated. The participants expressed concern over the cataclysmic effects of the previous clampdown and prevailing COVID-19 lockdown on the economy. The issues concerning the public ranging from development deficit, administrative inertia and unaccountability plaguing the administration were also widely discussed in the marathon meet, the spokesman said. On the occasion the functionaries of the Youth National Conference, zone incharges, and district presidents reiterated their support to party president Farooq Abdullah for the restoration of the constitutional position of J-K, which was “unilaterally rescinded by the Centre giving a ditch to the commitments it had made from time to time to the people of J-K”, he said. While interacting with the YNC functionaries, Omar Abdullah said J-K was going through a watershed moment and the situation demanded unity amongst the party”s rank and file.
