Cong holds ‘Ghar Ghar Dastak, Har Ghar Dastak’ rally in Gadigarh
Jammu, Nov 17: Renewing the Congress Party’s campaign for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, JKPCC Working President and former minister Raman Bhalla on Monday addressed a well-attended public rally at Ajeet Nagar, Gadigarh, under the Jammu South–R.S. Pura constituency. The event drew residents, youth groups, panchayat members and party workers, many of whom voiced frustration over what they termed an unending wait for statehood despite repeated assurances from the Centre.
Opening his address, Bhalla declared that statehood “is a constitutional right, not a concession,” insisting it was taken from the people without consent in 2019. He vowed that the Congress would escalate its mass outreach under the ‘Ghar Ghar Dastak, Har Ghar Dastak’ programme to press for the restoration of democratic authority.
Bhalla accused the BJP of “betraying public trust” by abandoning its own commitments. He alleged that the ruling party had chosen silence over accountability and was “avoiding answers” on the timeline for restoring statehood. “They promise before elections and forget afterwards,” he told the gathering, urging citizens to remain alert and outspoken.
The Congress leader further charged the BJP with weakening grassroots institutions and centralising decision-making, arguing that true autonomy was essential to protect the region’s identity and safeguard civic rights. He said the Congress outreach campaign aimed to reconnect with households, gather grievances firsthand and build collective pressure on the government.
Speakers from the party highlighted rising unemployment, inflation, stalled development works and the need to empower local governance structures. They called for a unified public response to what they described as administrative neglect.
The rally concluded with a pledge from party workers and attendees to expand the campaign across the constituency in the coming weeks. The programme was organised by Block President S. Gurmeet Singh, with Amrit Bali, Master Amrik Singh, Pawan Bhagat, Gurmeet Singh, S.P. Harjeet Singh, Rajinder Singh, Devinder Singh, Vishav Nagrik, Bhopinder Singh, Lalit Sharma, Balbir Singh, Tarlok Singh, Chaman Lal, Raghbir Singh and others addressing the audience.
