J&K Cong to intensify statehood movement

The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Congress on Wednesday said it will intensify the statehood restoration movement ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament that is set to start from July 21.

At a meeting of party coordinators for different districts of the Jammu region, the Congress’ J&K unit chief Tariq Hameed Karra alleged that people were being denied their legitimate demand of statehood restoration “without any justified reason”.

“The people of Jammu and Kashmir are suffering due to the double control system... The time has come to fulfil the promises made (by the Centre) on the floor of Parliament and before the Supreme Court,” he said.

Karra also asked party colleagues to go to the people and “awaken, educate and unite” them to fight for their “rights, status and dignity” and support the Congress’ movement for statehood.

At the meeting, the party decided to intensify the ‘Hamari Riyasat, Hamara Haq’ movement to force the Central government to pass a Bill in the upcoming Parliament session to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.

About the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls, Karra accused the BJP of attempting to rig the assembly elections slated to be held in Bihar in the next few months.

“After every election, the BJP prepares itself to rig the next polls. In the Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP used a different method to rig and win it,” he alleged. Karra said the party considers this voter verification exercise “anti-constitutional”.