The six-party alliance fighting for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on Tuesday warned the Centre of “harmful” consequences if it continued to “humiliate” Kashmiris.

The alliance leaders stepped up the ante three days after PDP leader and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti referred to the developments in the neighbourhood while telling the Centre to rectify its “mistake” in Kashmir, appearing to refer to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

The leaders of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration who met on Tuesday at chairman Farooq Abdullah’s residence did not mention the happenings in Afghanistan but sent out a stern warning to the Centre and criticised the judiciary for the alleged delay in starting the proceedings in petitions challenging the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

“We will take this petition (seeking redress of issues related to Kashmir) to the country and its people. Through you, we are telling civil society, media houses, journalists and Parliament that Kashmiris are being humiliated. It should stop. Its consequences won’t be good but harmful for the country and the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” alliance spokesman and CPM veteran M.Y. Tarigami told reporters after the meeting in the presence of Farooq, Mehbooba and other leaders.

Tarigami said the people of Jammu and Kashmir wanted their rights and also to live like others, with their heads held high. “We don’t want a life of humiliation. The government has pledged that it will continue to humiliate us. They see our humiliation as their glory, which is not acceptable to us,” he said.

In a resolution, the Gupkar alliance said the August 5, 2019, decision to nullify Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and turn it into two Union Territories, the other being Ladakh, had created a big political void and deep uncertainty.

“It is most unfortunate that the judicial challenges against this abrogation as a violation of the Constitution continue to remain pending before the Supreme Court even after two years,” the resolution said. The court is hearing multiple petitions challenging the decisions.

The resolution said suppression of civil liberties and democratic rights continued unabated in Jammu and Kashmir as hundreds remained in detention although charges had not been framed under the anti-terror UAPA and the Public Safety Act.

“New orders are being passed like non-clearance of passports and government services to anyone involved in ‘law and order’ or ‘stone pelting cases’. This negates the principle of natural justice by equating a police report with being guilty and being denied all these services. Jurisprudence underlines that everyone is innocent till proven guilty,” the alliance resolution said.

It said the protection of jobs and land rights had been snatched arbitrarily from locals, which had deepened the sense of insecurity.