Srinagar, June 09: The J&K Peoples Conference (JKPC) on Wednesday said the “continuous denial of democracy” and statehood in Jammu and Kashmir is “disheartening”.

The party, according to a statement issued here, convened a meeting on Wednesday under the leadership of its president Sajad Gani Lone. The meeting witnessed the participation of the party's top leadership, where deep anguish was expressed regarding the “prevailing state of democracy” in Jammu and Kashmir.

“It is with great sorrow that we observe the continuous denial of democracy and statehood in J&K. It is disheartening that amidst a population of 1.4 billion people in our nation, not a single soul outside the state seems visibly perturbed by the denial of democracy and statehood to J&K,” the party said. “Let it be etched in everyone's memory that, for the first time since 1947, a state has been downgraded to a Union Territory. This sad state of affairs has relegated J&K, once the crown of India's mainland politics, to mere tokenism.”

The PC leadership strongly challenged the notion that Jammu and Kashmir lags behind other states in terms of development and asserted it is imperative to address the misguided perception that J&K was lagging behind, the statement said. “Today, the people of J&K find themselves standing alone and isolated, with no political party willing to champion their cause.”

“We fervently appeal to all political parties not to visit J&K as part of Parliament Standing Committees purportedly overseeing development in Union Territories. By participating, they inadvertently endorse the decision to downgrade J&K to a Union Territory. If these political parties genuinely stand for democracy and the right of the people of J&K to elect their own government, they should unequivocally refuse to partake in such meetings,” the party said. “The PC leadership reiterated its unwavering commitment to upholding democracy, justice, and the rights of the people of J&K.”