Nine opposition parties participate in a protest organised by the DMK demanding immediate release of the political leaders detained in Kashmir

Nine opposition parties on Thursday participated in a protest organised by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, demanding the immediate release of political leaders detained in Kashmir.“We must recognise that thisis no democracy. If we fail to understand this, then we are living in a fool’ sparadise,” former Chief Minister of J&K and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said.He said that the law to nullify Article 370 was brought in through the back door. “There is something grave happening inthe State, which this government is trying to hide. The media is not allowed to telecast the truth,” he added.Invoking former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr. Azad said that had Vajpayee been in the PM’s chair, such a thing would not have happened.

Speaking earlier, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechurytoo invoked Vajpayee. Calling the change in the status of Jammu and Kashmir adirect assault on all pillars of the Indian Constitution, he said that thegovernment had forgotten the slogan given by Vajpayee, Kashmiriyat, Jamuriyataur Insaniyat.

The parties adopted a resolution demanding “immediaterelease of all public representatives of mainstream political parties andinnocent citizens.”We also demand immediate restoration of normalcy andcommunications so that people can reach out to their loved ones and theirfamily members,” the resolution read.

The Congress, TMC, CPI (M), CPI, SP, RJD, NationalConference and MDMK, among others, attended the event.