J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief, Tariq Hameed Karra, today accused the BJP-led Union Government of not being committed to restoring full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking at a public rally in Rajouri, Karra claimed that the Centre was planning to retain control over crucial departments, which he termed as the “backbone” of any state.
Centre’s Alleged Plans to Retain Vital Departments
Karra asserted that some powerful individuals in the Central Government are not in favor of restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood in its original form. He said, “The BJP government wants to retain some vital departments under their direct control. These departments are the fountainhead of any state, and any statehood that doesn’t include full autonomy over them is not acceptable to the Congress.”
He emphasized that the Congress party will continue to press for the complete restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible, stating, “We will not accept any amendments that allow the Centre to retain control over crucial functions of the state.”
Stand on Article 370 Abrogation
Responding to questions about Article 370, which was abrogated by the BJP-led government in August 2019, Karra reaffirmed the Congress party’s position. He pointed to a resolution passed by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on August 6, 2019, in which the action was described as “unilateral and undemocratic.” Karra said, “The Congress strongly condemned the government’s action, calling it undemocratic and unilateral. They had no right to take such a step without consulting the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Karra also criticized the government’s approach to Article 370, stressing that the restoration of statehood should be a priority. “Our only demand is the restoration of full statehood,” he said, adding that the party’s stance is aligned with the Supreme Court’s verdict on the matter. “We fought the elections on the demand for restoration of statehood and will continue our struggle until it is achieved.”
Differing Views with National Conference
On the position of the National Conference (NC), which has been pushing for the restoration of Article 370, Karra clarified that while the Congress and NC had fought the Assembly elections together, both parties had separate manifestos. He pointed out, “It is not unusual for alliance partners to have differing manifestos during elections. This is true for both the Congress-NC alliance in J&K and for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the national level.”
Karra added that while both parties had common goals, their approaches were distinct, and the Congress did not endorse the NC’s call for the restoration of Article 370.
Fact-Finding Committee Report on Election Performance
Karra also addressed the recently constituted Fact-Finding Committee set up to analyze the Congress party’s performance in the recently held Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. He revealed that the committee is finalizing its report, which will be available shortly. “The report will be presented once the committee completes its assessment of the party’s performance,” Karra stated.
Senior Congress leaders, including Tara Chand, Raman Bhalla, Ch Lal Singh, Ravinder Sharma, Ved Mahajan, Shabir Khan, and Iftikhar Ahmed (MLA), were present at the rally.
Conclusion
Karra concluded his remarks by reiterating Congress’s commitment to the restoration of full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, emphasizing that the struggle for the rights and autonomy of the region would continue.
