The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Sunday condemned the Centre for what it called "turning Jammu and Kashmir region into a huge prison" and demanded the release of all those arrested, including former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.

The M K Stalin-led party, which has all along been critical of the Centre's action on the Jammu and Kashmir issue here, demanded that the Centre "respect the sensitivities of the people."

A resolution adopted at its general council meet here condemned the Centre for abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the region into two union territories sans the nod of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and without eliciting the views of the people there.

Also, it said"...this general council (meet) condemns turning the region into a huge prison and betraying the people; for arrest of leaders like Farooq Abdullah and placing them under house arrest who strove for democracy."



The party, in its meet chaired by Stalin, urged the Centre to "immediately free all those arrested and respect human rights, the sensitivities of the Kashmiri people and democratic ethos."

Most top-level and second-rung separatist politicians have been taken into preventive custody, while mainstream leaders, including two former Chief Ministers -- Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti -- have been either detained or placed under house arrest.

The government detained former Chief Minister and sitting Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah under the Public Safety act.

The DMK also sought withdrawal of the Draft National Education Policy (DNEP) 2019 from the Centre, alleging that it was an attempt to impose Hindi and Sanskrit.

The party also wanted education in the State list from the concurrent list of the Constitution.

In July, a delegation of DMK MPs led by Kanimozhi had called on Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal and urged withdrawal of the draft policy.

Many suggestions of the DNEP were against the spirit of the Constitution, principles of federalism and social justice, and it had "hidden agendas" to deprive oppressed communities from accessing education, the party had said.

The DMK meet also demanded 90 per cent recruitment of the State's youth for vacancies in Central government establishments and public sector units located in Tamil Nadu.

Competitive exams, including interviews for openings in the Central government should also be held in Tamil, the party said.

The party "strongly condemned" filling vacancies in Central government offices in Tamil Nadu by allegedly favouring those from northern states while 80 lakh youth of the state awaited employment after registering in employment exchanges.

Senior leaders Duraimurugan, T R Baalu, Dayanidhi Maran and Kanimozhi participated in the meet.



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