BJP leader Altaf Thakur on Thursday stated that the statehood in Jammu and Kashmir will be restored at an “appropriate time,” when all the terror networks in the state are “destroyed.”
Speaking to ANI, Thakur said, “BJP, the PM and the HM have said that statehood will be restored at the appropriate time… It seems that statehood will be granted once all the terror networks in the state are destroyed. Honourable Supreme Court has also given a time of 8 weeks to the Centre to assess the situation, after which the Centre will submit its answer.”
Reacting to this, J-K Congress President Tariq Hameed Karra stated that the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to conduct elections in the Union Territory and restore statehood, out of which only one direction has been fulfilled.
Karra said, “… When Article 370 was removed from Kashmir, the Supreme Court had said that elections should be held in the state as soon as possible and secondly, Kashmir’s statehood should be restored at the earliest… The Supreme Court follows a process which requires it to seek a response from the government. They are just following this process…”
The Supreme Court of India, on Thursday, heard a plea seeking directions to the Centre for the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The court noted that the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir cannot be ignored while granting statehood and said that the events in Pahalgam cannot be overlooked.
Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, while listening to the plea, said, “You cannot ignore what happened in Pahalgam.”
Meanwhile, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, requested eight weeks to obtain government instructions on the issue, noting that the government had assured statehood after elections, but a peculiar situation exists.
Congress MLA and petitioner for J-K statehood in SC, Irfan Hafeez Lone, commented on the recent development and noted, ” We are neither going to stop, bow down, or get tired. Whenever the BJP is afraid, they send the police forward. This is Gandhi’s country. We will continue our fight.” (ANI)
