Jammu, Sept 16: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) working president Raman Bhalla on Monday asked Home Minister Amit Shah when full statehood will be restored to Jammu & Kashmir, alleging that it will turn into another “jumla” like many others that have not seen the light of the day.
Addressing an election gathering at Maishian in RS Pura, Jammu South constituency, Bhalla questioned Shah’s statement that full statehood would be restored at an “appropriate time”, saying that the people of J&K still lack clarity on the timeline for its return.
“Based on the experience of the last five years, where assembly elections were delayed on one pretext or the other, the people of J&K don’t buy the centre’s assurance of restoration of statehood,” he said.
The Congress leader also asked who will take moral responsibility for the martyrdom of Indian Army personnel in terrorist attacks in Doda-Kishtwar. He claimed that the government’s decision on August 5, 2019, has not curbed terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir, as many security personnel were martyred since 2021.
Bhalla further questioned the government’s failure to control the security situation in J&K, saying there is a surge in terrorism and narcotics smuggling. “The government has consistently lied to the country about the security situation in J&K and has failed to create jobs as promised,” he said.
The JKPCC leader appealed to youths, farmers and women to “read between the lines and judge for themselves as to who is anti-youth, anti-farmer, anti-labourer and anti-workers”. The BJP government is working on a policy to keep 95% of people poor and 5% wealthy to fund and rule, he alleged.
The Congress leader said his party has always framed and implemented “pro-poor and pro-oppressed policies” to ensure their upliftment since independence. “Congress will fight for the poor and downtrodden, including refugees and poor farmers who are being uprooted by the present dispensation,” he assured.
