SRINAGAR: Security forces today foiled a march to Civil Secretariat, seat of the government, against Goods and Services Tax (GST) by Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), while the Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee (JKCC) alleged the new tax regime has taken away fiscal autonomy and will dilute the special status of the state. The members of the KEA, led by its acting chairman Farooq Ahmad Dar, today assembled at Press Enclave near here, raising slogans against implementation of GST. However, when the members tried to march towards civil secretariat, seat of the coalition PDP-BJP government including office of Chief Minister and her cabinet colleagues and top bureaucrats, security forces swung into action and stopped them from marching ahead. However, when the marchers refused to disperse and continued their march, the forces took into preventive custody Dar and other members of the KEA. Dar, before his arrest, told reporters that GST will take away fiscal autonomy and will dilute the Special status of J&K. He alleged that the coalition PDP-BJP government is implementing agenda of the RSS, the party which is against the Article 370 granting J&K special status in the country. Dar alleged that the wounds inflicted on the state’s autonomy by extending GST are still fresh when another new machination has been launched to question the validity of Article 35A now”, he further alleged and said our protest was also against the alleged atrocities by security forces. Meanwhile, J&KCC also organised a silent protest in historic Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the summer capital, against the implementation of GST. They were demanding immediate rollback of GST in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir will not accept the GST and will continue to demand for justice. However, the sit-in concluded peacefully. (UNI)
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