Jammu, Nov 28 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) on Sunday called on the Centre to restore the pre-August 2019 status of Jammu and Kashmir, saying there is a feeling of disempowerment and alienation among the residents following the "snatching" of its statehood.

Addressing a public meeting at Budhi village in Kathua district, JKAP vice president Ghulam Hassan Mir said there is a need to win the confidence of the people of Jammu and Kashmir by restoring its statehood before assembly elections are held.

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The Centre revoked the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and divided it into two union territories on August 5, 2019.

The government of India must restore Jammu and Kashmir's pre-August 5, 2019 status, Mir said.

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"On that day, the government played with our honour and snatched our historic state by downgrading it to a union territory," he said.

"There is a need to win the confidence of the people by restoring the statehood before (assembly) polls (are held) in J&K. There is a feeling of disempowerment and alienation among the people following the snatching of the statehood," the JKAP leader said.

Mir said the LG-led administration cannot be an alternative to an elected government.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)