Declare Statehood before Elections: Vikar Rasool

Bari Brahmna, December 24: Strongly advocating restoration of statehood as a prerequisite to holding assembly elections the Congress has said this has now become imperative after the recent observations and directions by the Supreme Court while hearing the case pertaining to partial abrogation of Article 370. Holding elections without granting statehood will defeat the basic purpose of restoring the institutions of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing an impressive conference of the prominent leaders and workers of Vijaypur assembly constituency here today, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Mr Vikar Rasool said the Supreme Court observations in regard to fixing a deadline for holding assembly elections and restoration of statehood, is a full-scale indictment of the Centre government and the Lt Governor’s administration who are guilty of depriving people of their basic democratic rights. Time has come to rectify this wrong done to Jammu and Kashmir without any further delay and apologize to the people for having committed this wrong.

Mr Rasool gave a clarion call to the party workers and Congress sympathisers to gear up for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and support the democratic forces spearheaded by the Congress along with other I.N.D.I.A alliance constituents. Time has come for the people to call the bluff of the LG’s administration regarding overall development of Jammu and Kashmir. Falsehood is being spread in the name of development as people are suffering on all counts and reeling under severe power and water crisis.

Speaking on the occasion former Deputy Chief Minister and chairman of the PCC’s campaign committee Mr Tara Chand said the people have been made to suffer by depriving them of the services of their elected representatives. In the face of the Supreme Court setting a deadline for holding assembly elections and directions on restoration of the statehood, the Centre and the LG’s administration owe an explanation and must apologise to the people for depriving them of their democratic rights. Time has come for all of us to join hands and expose the devious designs of the BJP, which has caused immense damage to Jammu and Kashmir and democratic fiber of the country, he added.

Mr Chand exhorted the party workers to gird up their loins and create awareness regarding the misdeeds of the BJP-led dispensation at the Centre and the LG administration who have pushed Jammu and Kashmir to the brink of disaster. Imposition of heavy taxation and prevailing poor civic amenities are among the plethora of anti-people policies and failures of the local administration whereas the Central Government simply looked the otherway.

PCC general secretary and Senior Advocate Mr Mohinder Bhardwaj reiterated that the Centre must honour the views of the Supreme Court and immediately declare statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. Illegal and unconstitutional demotion to a Union Territory status has been the root cause of immense difficulties which the people have been facing. There is no redressal mechanism for the people in the absence of their elected representatives and it is imperative that statehood should be declared along with immediate holding of assembly elections.

Mr Bhardwaj expressed serious concern on the Union Territory facing the highest ever rate of unemployment which stands at above 18 per cent which is much higher than the national average of about 10 per cent. The Centre and the LG Administration must explain why this situation has arisen if everything was perfectly right as per the rosy picture being portrayed by them. The ground realities point to a different direction as people continue to suffer due to deprivation of political empowerment, protection of land and job rights, rising prices due to heavy taxation and failure of the administration and rampant unemployment particularly in border areas of Jammu region.

Where are the special recruitment drives particular in JK Police and Central Paramilitary Forces as repeatedly promised by the Centre and LG Administration, he asked.

Among others who spoke on the occasion included Thakur Balwan Singh (Senior Vice President), S Tarlok Singh Bajwa (former MP and Vice President), Sh Naresh Sharma (General Secretary), Sh. Gurmeet Singh (General Secretary) Sh Dwarka Choudhary (Former Corporator and General secretary) Sh Madan Chalotra (Chairman OBC Cell PCC) Smt Gurbachan Kumari Rana (former minister), Sh Narinder sharma (General Secretary) Sh Pawan Raina(General Secretary) Sh Bhushan Dogra (Secretary) Sh Ashok Dubey Sh Janak Raj, Sh Surinder Sharma, Sh Jeet Raj, Sh.Rashpal Sharma, Sh. Kirpal Singh, Sh. Ghanshyam Sharma.