Choudhary, while speaking to reporters during his visit to Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple in Ganderbal, said the concerns raised by young people must be addressed rather than suppressed.
Read more: Omar Abdullah and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq slam J&K Waqf Board move to ‘standardise’ Friday sermons
“If the youth and the people believe that Gyanesh Kumar should resign, then he should resign. The youth are on the streets and Gyanesh Kumar will have to resign. We cannot ignore the concerns of our youngsters. It is because of the sacrifices of youngsters like Bhagat Singh Sukhdev and Rajguru before 1947 that we are here today,” said Choudhary.
Referring to allegations of vote theft, Choudhary said young people were questioning the electoral process and alleged that their concerns were being answered with brute force. “They are saying that jobs are not being provided and even their votes are being stolen. Instead of answering their questions, they are being subjected to baton charges by police and even by the goons. What kind of justice is this?” he asked.
He also condemned the use of force against young protesters, including women and said the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest. “These young people are the future of our country. You cannot silence them by using force. This is oppression and such oppression cannot continue and history bears witness to this fact,” he said.
Read more: J&K Assembly passes statehood resolution amid BJP protests, walkoutChoudhary said an independent and impartial Election Commission was essential to strengthening democracy in Jammu and Kashmir and across the country.
“If we want to strengthen democracy in Jammu and Kashmir and across India, which we proudly call the world’s largest democracy, we must ensure a transparent, vibrant and impartial Election Commission,” said Choudhary.
The Deputy Chief Minister said educated youth were facing unemployment despite their parents making significant sacrifices to provide them the best education. “Today, the youth of India are demanding employment…even after completing their studies, they are unable to find government or private jobs,” he said.
On the controversy surrounding the Waqf Board’s proposed standardised themes for Friday sermons, Choudhary said no political party had the right to interfere in the religious affairs of any community. “Whether it is Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism or Christianity, no religion gives any political party the right to interfere in its affairs. Religion has always been above politics and it must remain so,” he said.
