New Delhi, Jul 23: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday alleged that the Modi government has a “consistent policy of betrayal” for Jammu and Kashmir, and asserted that people of J&K deserve full statehood.
His remarks came after Congress’ Jammu and Kashmir unit staged a protest at Jantar Mantar here, demanding restoration of full statehood to the Union Territory.
Also, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, along with Kharge, met and deliberated with party leaders from Jammu and Kashmir at Indira Bhawan here.
The Congress is fully dedicated to protecting the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and their interests, Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on Facebook after addressing the gathering.
Posting pictures on X from the gathering, Kharge said the people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve full statehood, and added that it is their constitutional right.
“We have written to the PM demanding the same. Modi Govt has a consistent policy of betrayal for Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Kharge said the Pahalgam terror attack is a grim reminder of intelligence failure.
“We stand strongly with the people of J&K, demanding adequate compensation and protection for them, especially those families who have lost their loved ones in cross-border shelling. They are martyrs,” he said.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee is on the streets fighting for the people, he said.
“It is the duty of every Congress worker to strengthen the organisation. Your determination can go a long way in changing the lives of the people in this beautiful border region,” the party chief said.
Congress general secretary (organisation), K C Venugopal, AICC in-charge of J&K Naseer Hussain and J&K Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra, among others, took part in the protest at Jantar Mantar.
“Jammu and Kashmir is the first instance of a state being downgraded into a Union Territory. Such democratic backsliding and insult to the people of a state is unacceptable,” Venugopal said in a post on X after the protest.
“J&KPCC is protesting at Jantar Mantar, to demand restoration of full statehood to J&K. I joined in the protest and spoke about the need to defend the Constitution and restore the dignity of the people of J&K. The promises made in Parliament must be fulfilled without delay,” he said.
The Congress on Sunday said the party will raise the demand for restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir in the Monsoon session of Parliament.
Kharge and Gandhi had last week written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for a legislation in the Monsoon session to grant full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
In their joint letter to Modi, Kharge and Gandhi had said that for the past five years, the people of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir have consistently called for the restoration of full statehood.
This demand is both legitimate and firmly grounded in their constitutional and democratic rights, they had said.
