Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, May 24: The Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) today accused the Centre of adopting a “biased approach” towards J&K by granting constitutional safeguards to Ladakh while continuing to delay the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory.
Addressing reporters, JKPCC president Tariq Hameed Karra said the differential treatment of Ladakh and J&K reflected “sheer injustice” and alleged that the Centre was deliberately ignoring the democratic aspirations of the people of J&K.
“We are happy that the people of Ladakh received the reward for their struggle and hard work. But the way the two regions are being handled differently, and the way their grievances are being addressed differently, once again reflects a biased attitude,” Karra said.
He said the Congress party had been consistently fighting for the restoration of constitutional and political rights in J&K since the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A in August 2019.
Karra said the party had intensified its campaign over the past one-and-a-half years through protests, hunger strikes and public mobilisation programs across all 20 districts of J&K demanding restoration of statehood.
“For the restoration of statehood, we have been running a movement for the last one-and-a-half years across all districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Alongside this, we held protests, came out on the streets, and gave calls like ‘Srinagar Chalo’, ‘Jammu Chalo’, and even ‘Delhi Chalo’,” he said.
According to Karra, around 600 to 700 Congress workers from J&K travelled to Delhi and staged protests at Jantar Mantar.
He alleged that party workers who attempted to gherao Parliament were detained and beaten up.
The JKPCC chief said the party’s top leadership, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary K. C. Venugopal, had fully supported the agitation in J&K.
He added that Kharge and Gandhi had jointly written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking restoration of statehood and constitutional rights.
“It is not that we have not struggled; we have struggled and will continue to struggle in the future as well,” Karra said, adding that the party would soon announce more programs as part of its campaign.
Karra further alleged that the Centre was pursuing a “stage-by-stage agenda” in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370.
“Your nefarious design is becoming clear to us. Your intention seems to be that until your agenda is fully implemented – whether related to security, legislation, or enforcing laws there – you are applying it here stage by stage,” he said.
The Congress leader also criticised the Centre for, what he described as, stripping J&K of its constitutional rights despite repeated assurances by the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister regarding restoration of statehood.
He said these assurances had been made both inside and outside Parliament and pointed out that the Supreme Court had also issued clear directions regarding restoration of statehood.
Referring to the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Karra said Rahul Gandhi’s visit to J&K had created a “feel-good factor” among the youth and encouraged many young people to join the Congress party.
Karra said that youth in areas such as Beerwah and Khansahib had increasingly joined Congress activities after observing Rahul Gandhi’s political struggle and the functioning of the Pradesh Congress Committee.
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