Jammu, Feb 27: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President Tariq Hameed Karra on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its MLAs from Jammu of betraying the Dogra community by failing to fulfill their commitment to restoring statehood after securing a massive mandate.
Addressing a party convention in Jammu Urban, Karra said Congress is steadfast in its fight to restore Dogra identity, dignity, culture, and rights, while the BJP remains silent on the issue.
Karra, donning a Dogra turban, said the Congress party is committed to upholding the honour of the Dogra community. “Those who secured a huge mandate from Dogras are now silent on the restoration of statehood and rights. They must answer why they have failed to fulfill the promises made by the Prime Minister publicly, before the Supreme Court, and in Parliament,” he said.
The JKPCC chief said Congress received overwhelming support during his two-week tour of Jammu province, where people expressed their solidarity with the party’s struggle for statehood. “The day is not far when the Congress will not hesitate to hit the streets to fight for this cause,” he said, adding that the party’s manifesto prioritises the restoration of statehood and that the Congress will fight for it relentlessly.
Karra urged party workers to intensify their mass contact programmes and prepare for upcoming Urban Local Body (ULB) elections. He called on leaders and workers to address pressing public issues such as power shortages, water supply, ration distribution, and unemployment. He called for resolving the long-pending demands of daily wagers, casual labourers, contractual workers, NHM employees, anganwadi and ASHA workers, SPOs and other temporary employees.
Senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla expressed grave concern over the rising crime rate in Jammu and its outskirts, saying it was due to the loss of statehood and special protections for land and jobs. “People of Jammu are feeling insecure, losing jobs, trade, culture, and peace of mind. The BJP has betrayed the mandate by snatching our identity, rights, and dignity,” he said.
Bhalla criticized the authorities for disconnecting power connections of poor households over inflated bills and highlighted the non-issuance of fresh ration cards for several years.
Choudhary Lal Singh, another prominent Congress leader, accused the BJP of looting Jammu’s resources and land while undermining Dogra culture. “Our identity, dignity, and rights to land and resources have been destroyed. Our forefathers and Dogra rulers fought to safeguard our identity, but the BJP has done the greatest injustice to us,” he said.
On the occasion, Bodh Raj Bhagat, former Chairman of the Scheduled Caste (SC) cell of the Apni Party, joined the Congress.
