NC stays away from I-Day function at Bakshi stadium

Opposition National Conference today stayed away from the Independence day function at Bakhshi stadium here while Congress claimed its leaders could not make it to the venue due to strict curfew which was in force in some parts of the city.

"We decided to stay away from the functions as people of Kashmir have now been caged for more than a month and there is no improvement in the situation in the valley so far," National Conference general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar told PTI.

He said the party had submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his visit to the valley but nothing has come out after the assurances he gave to the National Conference delegation.
 

"We had asked for stopping the use of pellet guns and other steps to be taken for improving the situation.

The Home Minister had given assurances but nothing has happened," Sagar said.

A Congress spokesman said none of the party leaders could make it to the Bakhshi stadium due to strict curfew imposed in the city.

Interestingly, the spokesman said the party, however, organised a function at its headquarters at Maulana Azad road in Lal Chowk area to hoist the national flag and celebrate the Independence day.

He admitted that the party leaders were invited to the function at the Bakhshi stadium.

While people invited to the Independence Day function were allowed to proceed to Bakhshi stadium, severe restrictions were imposed on movement of people going towards Lal chowk and surrounding areas.

JKPCC chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir, in Delhi, dismissed reports that Congress had boycotted the national flag hoisting function at the Bakshi stadium in Srinagar.

Mir said he was not aware whether any party MLA or MLC have been issued invitation cards and provided adequate security escort to participate in the function to facilitate their presence there.

Accusing the state government of not cooperating with the opposition, he said that he had expressed the party's readiness with the Chief Minister to visit various district headquarters as part of an all party initiative in the wake of the current unrest.

"I have been telling the Chief Minister don't try to avoid all opposition".

Mir, who participated in the flag hoisting function at the AICC headquarters, said that the state unit had hoisted the national tricolour at a function at party office in Srinagar, Jammu and several district headquarters today.