Left Holds Protest Rallies in Kolkata Against ‘Unethical’ Abrogation of Article 370

Kolkata: Putting up a resistance against the Centre’s decision to revoke Article 370, the Left Parties organised a protest rally in Kolkata on August 7. This is the second protest rally organised by the Left since the Centre revoked Article 370 on Monday, August 5. The first rally was organised on Monday itself, with all Left parties, such as the CPIM, CPI, CPI-ML, RSP, SUCI and youth organization DYFI participating.

Leading the rally were leaders like Left Front chairman Biman Bose, CPI(M) state general secretary Surjya Kanta Misra, former Member of Parliament, Mohammad Salim and others.

Participants were seen carrying huge placards and banners condemning the Centre’s decision to revoke Article 370. Some banners also demanded the release of political leaders put under house arrest in the Kashmir valley.

Interacting with the media, Salim said, “We demand the immediate release of all the leaders affiliated to various political parties from house arrest. We are in particular worried about comrade Yousuf Tarigami, who is also under house arrest.”

Left cadres burn effigy of Amit Shah for abolishing Article 370 and bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir, in Kolkata

Bose said, “Revoking of Article 370 is unethical. We resist this decision of the Centre. We have been hitting on the streets to express our opinion and putting forward our demand, which is the cancellation of the Centre’s decision. And we will keep doing it till the Centre does the needful.”

On being asked about the great divide that the Centre’s decision had created with political parties by and large, and even the Trinamool Congress (TMC), walking out of Parliament when the Bill to revoke 370 was passed, Salim attacked TMC, saying:  “BJP and TMC are the two faces of the same coin. TMC which has been saying that they are not supporting the Centre’s decision chooses to walk out, which means that by walking out they have somehow shown their support to the government’s decision. Had they voted against the Bill, then our vote count would have been higher and better.”

However, on being asked about Pakistan’s move to condemn the revoking of Article 370, the Left leaders maintained that they would be speaking about their movement in India and would not comment on the same.

So far, it seems, it is the Left parties mostly who hit the street on the issue. Similar protests have taken place in many places of West Bengal and in India.