Srinagar: Illegally detained leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), Molvi Bashir Irfani and Bilal Siddiqi, have condemned the celebration of the so-called Union Territory Foundation Day by the New Delhi appointed Lieutenant Governor as an affront, highlighting ongoing efforts by the Indian government to erase the cultural and political identity of the Kashmiri people.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Molvi Bashir Irfani and Bilal Siddiqi communicated from jail in Srinagar that the celebration led by LG Manoj Sinha on October 31 starkly reveals the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) covert intentions in the occupied region. The leaders described the event as an act that aggravates the Kashmiri plight, symbolizing disdain for the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people who staunchly resist the illegal occupation.

The duo criticized the Modi government’s abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019 as a strategy to promote its Hindutva agenda, threatening the demographic and cultural essence of the region. They accused the BJP of aiming to diminish the Muslim majority in Kashmir through demographic changes and of sanctioning human rights abuses by Indian forces.

Highlighting the international status of the Kashmir issue, Irfani and Siddiqi argued that India’s maneuvers in the recognized conflict zone challenge global peace efforts. They urged the international community to acknowledge the gravity of the situation and press India towards a fair resolution of the Kashmir conflict.

In conclusion, the leaders called for greater unity among Kashmiris to oppose India’s maneuvers and affirmed the necessity of international intervention to restore peace and justice in the region.