Restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir: Congress passes resolution

Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) on Friday passed a four-point resolution for the restoration of statehood for J&K and demanded Constitutional guarantees in jobs and land for the people of the erstwhile state.

The meeting under the leadership of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad also passed a resolution demanding the freeing of all the political detainees and creating an atmosphere conducive for politics in the Union Territory (UT).

The resolution was passed by 230 leaders of Jammu and Kashmir including all former ministers, legislators, district presidents and party functionaries of J&K.

"All curbs and restrictions on mainstream political parties, their leaders and activists should be lifted to allow them to resume their usual political activities to create a congenial and conducive political atmosphere for a meaningful and credible political process to pave way for holding of early Assembly elections," the resolution said.

JKPCC president Ghulam Ahmad Mir said that a threadbare discussion was held regarding the prevailing political situation in J&K in two meetings held on Thursday and Friday.

However, he said that few leaders from Kashmir couldn’t attend the meeting due to bad weather conditions that disrupted flight operations.

"A resolution was also passed after the discussion which mentioned that the Congress party will continue to fight till statehood to Jammu and Kashmir is restored with full rights it had in the past. We will fight for statehood from national level to the local level,” Mir asserted.

“Many people belonging to poor section here and also reside along the border areas. Therefore, there should be Constitutional protection to jobs and owning of land by the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he demanded.

Earlier, Azad alleged that the BJP government was misleading the world over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and it has totally failed to improve the economic condition of the country and contain the rising problem of unemployment.

“Post abrogation of Article 370 and the creation of two UTs, the BJP government has made three attempts to mislead the world and the people of this country over the situation in J&K. Some selective Members of Parliament from various countries were taken to J&K. They were not allowed to meet local leadership, common man, media and the trader fraternity in Kashmir," he said.

“Then again, selective ambassadors from various favourite countries were invited to visit Kashmir. Again, they were allowed to meet only those few people and not the common man, local leadership, media or suffering traders in Kashmir. Even the envoy from the most favoured and friendly country, Russia, was not invited. That country even objected over the issue after this visit,” Azad added.

The Congress leader alleged that the BJP government wanted to take only those people to Kashmir who were prepared to buy "the BJP’s cooked story".