Srinagar: Scores of traders Tuesday staged a protest against the proposed scrapping of Article 35A that bars a non-state subject to acquire land and job in Jammu and Kashmir.
The traders who marched from Press Enclave towards Civil Secretariat were stopped by police at city centre Lal Chowk while couple of the protesting traders were detained and lodged in nearby police station.
The protest that was organized by Kashmir Economic Alliance was led by Farooq Ahmed Dar. The protest march was carried out against the implementation of Goods and Service Tax, civilian killings and proposed abrogation of Article 35A.
Farooq Ahmed Dar said that the implementation of GST in the State is a direct attack on the fiscal autonomy. They alleged that PDP-BJP government is implementing agenda of the RSS as they are hell bent to do away with Article 370 which gives JK special status in India.
“The wound inflicted on the state’s autonomy through extension of GST is still fresh as another new machination has been launched to question the validity of Article 35A now, the protesting traders said.
Meanwhile, Jammu Kashmir Coordination Committee also staged a protest against the extension of Goods and Service Tax in the State. Members from the business community staged a sit-in in city centre Lal Chowk here on Tuesday.
Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee (JKCC), representing all trade and industrial organisations besides civil society formations in the valley, has been formed to resist implementation of the GST in the state.
Acting president Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation, Mr Fayaz Ahmed that there are adverse implications leading to infringement of the state’s autonomy and constitution by the proposed extension of the GST regime.
The GST, as a system, goes against the letter and spirit of the autonomy of the state, they said.
It reduces the power and flexibility of the state government to pursue its own fiscal policy as well as public expenditure policy which is aligned to its own requirements, they said.
They said if the new tax regime is implemented in its present form, neither the state legislature nor the state cabinet would have any say on taxation matters.
They warned the government against extending the 101st constitutional amendment to the state. “We outrightly reject the extension of 101st amendment, they said.
They also warned Government of India of dire consequences in case Article 35 A is abrogated.
