Accusing the BJP of imposing “undeclared Emergency” through its actions in dealing with Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu’s principal Opposition, the DMK, on Monday announced a protest in New Delhi on August 22 demanding the release of leaders under preventive detention in the border state.

Announcing the protest by DMK MPs at the Jantar Mantar on Thursday, DMK President M K Stalin said parties that “believe in democracy” would participate in the protest to send a signal to the BJP that implementation of its policies vis-à-vis Kashmir was not according to democratic principles.

Stalin, who has been opposing abrogation of Article 370 and had condemned it in unequivocal terms, also accused the BJP of trying to “snatch” the independence that was fought hard by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhai Patel through “autocratic methods.”

“It has been 14 days since Farooq Abdullah, the son of Sheikh Abdullah who was known as ‘Lion of Kashmir, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti – all former chief ministers – have been put under prevention detention or house arrest. These are the leaders who stood by the people of Kashmir and acted as their voice,” Stalin said in his statement.

Neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Home Minister Amit Shah seem to be concerned about the people of Kashmir. “After having shut down the entire state, murdering democracy and imposing undeclared Emergency, the BJP is claiming that they have succeeded in Kashmir. This is nothing but politics,” Stalin said.

He also accused the BJP of having no faith in democracy, while announcing that the DMK MPs will hold a protest in Jantar Mantar on Thursday.

Always a staunch proponent of federalism, DMK, through the protest and by opposing the Centre’s decisions relating to Jammu and Kashmir, is attempting at rallying all Opposition parties around Stalin, who recently scripted the first victory for the party in a decade in the Lok Sabha polls.

DMK was the only major regional party that stood alongside the Congress in opposing and voting against the Bill in both houses of Parliament. By opposing the Centre’s move tooth and nail, DMK hopes to further consolidate the anti-BJP sentiments in Tamil Nadu, that outright rejected the saffron party and its alliance partner, AIADMK, in the April Lok Sabha polls.