BENGALURU: At a talk which was planned months in advance, Shehla Rashid, political activist and former vice-president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union, visited Bengaluru as part of lecture conducted at St Aloysius Degree College. The 31-year-old spoke to students and various members on Indian democracy, diversity and dissent, and also spoke on the issues faced by Kashmiris.
“We will challenge the order passed today, in the Supreme Court. The move to replace ‘Government’ by ‘Governor’ and Constituent Assembly by ‘Legislative Assembly’ is a fraud upon the Constitution. Appeal to progressive forces for solidarity,” Shehla said at a media interaction.
Asked about several opposition parties supporting the abolition of Article 370, she called it ‘unfortunate’.
She said that the decision implemented by the government does not amount to ‘constitutional fraud’.
Shehla urged both India and Pakistan to resolve the issue in a peaceful way through dialogue, taking all stakeholders into confidence. “If they take everyone on board including Kashmiri Pandits, Muslims etc then it is most welcome.”
Kashmiris protest in city
Bengaluru: Over 300 citizens staged a protest at Town Hall against the scrapping of Article 370. Worried about what could happen to their state, many Kashmiris in the city took part in the protest.
All India Democratic Women’s Association Vimala KS who was also part of the protest, urged people to come forward and stand in solidarity with Kashmiris.
“The Article was there for a reason,” she said. "Three counter-protestors brought in a banner of Shehla's tweet and supported the bill. They were immediately taken off by the police citing disruption."