New Delhi, Jul 22 (KNO): The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) on Tuesday held a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, pressing for the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The demonstration was part of the party’s “Delhi Chalo” programme and was led by JKPCC President Tariq Hameed Karra.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the party workers and leaders from various districts of Jammu and Kashmir gathered at the Jantar Mantar, raising slogans and holding placards.
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, who also joined the protest, said the Centre had not kept its promise of restoring statehood to the region after the abrogation of Article 370.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir were assured that statehood would be returned. But that has not happened,” Venugopal said. “We have seen Union Territories becoming states, but not the other way around. This is a reversal of democratic progress.”
Venugopal said people had travelled from different areas of Jammu and Kashmir to take part in the protest, despite the difficult conditions in Delhi due to rain. “Congress is standing with the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
Karra, while addressing the gathering, said that the delay in restoring statehood showed a lack of political intent. He said the issue was not just about the administrative status, but also about political representation and democratic rights.
Other leaders who participated in the protest included Vikar Rasool Wani, Raman Bhalla and Ghulam Ahmad Mir. They said the move to downgrade the region from a state to a Union Territory in August 2019 had weakened local political authority.
Mir said the issue went beyond statehood. “It is also about ensuring that people have a say in governance,” he said.
Karra said the party would continue to raise the issue in all possible forums, including Parliament. “This will remain a key demand for us,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Congress had not consulted them before launching the protest. “We only learned about this through the media. There was no discussion during recent INDIA bloc meetings,” Omar said—(KNO)