Daily Times

Azad Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan said Monday that India has been using the “cover of the coronavirus” to “mow down” Kashmiri youth and change the Muslim-majority character of the disputed region.

In a video statement addressing countries “friendly” to the Kashmir movement, Khan said “together, we will succeed [against COVID-19]. Kashmir must remain on the global agenda even in these difficult times.”

“The BJP regime is mowing down Kashmiri youth and denying COVID-19 testing and treatment to Kashmiris,” Khan alleged, referring to India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

In a surprising move, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in New Delhi scrapped Kashmir’s regional autonomy last summer. This was followed by a series of moves to clamp down on anti-government protests and related dissent. The measures included the internet blackout, a gag on media, restrictions on free movement and the detention of key political leaders.

Much of the world is under an apparent lockdown to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 170,000 people globally after first appearing in Wuhan, China last December.