Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Jal Shakti Minister Javed Ahmed Rana on Sunday started a signature campaign from his Mendhar constituency in the Poonch district for the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory as announced by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Addressing the Independence Day function in Srinagar on Friday, Chief Minister Abdullah referred to the observations made by the Supreme Court about the Pahalgam attack during a recent hearing of a plea for the restoration of statehood, and said it is unfortunate that people of the region are being “punished” for a crime in which they played no role.
“The Supreme Court has given the government eight weeks to respond. From today, we will use these eight weeks to go door to door in all 90 Assembly segments for a signature campaign on the restoration of statehood. If people are not ready to sign the document, I will accept defeat,” he said, adding the signature campaign documents will be submitted to the apex court.
Taking forward the campaign at an event organised by the National Conference to welcome some former workers in Mendhar, Rana who is also the Minister for Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, alleged that the central government has “failed” to keep its promise to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir after Assembly elections.
“I have started the campaign for statehood restoration from here with my signature and I urge all the people of my constituency to come forward and sign this book,” he said.
Welcoming the return of the prominent party activists, he said, “This is a good omen for the campaign. Those who left us in the last Assembly elections are back and this is the start of our ‘unite Mendhar campaign’ which is to carry forward the National Conference agenda for the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the Pir Panjal region.
“The central government has promised restoration of statehood on the completion of delimitation exercise and holding of Assembly elections. It is their moral duty to fulfil that promise, which will bridge the gap between Delhi and J&K in the real sense,” Rana said.
He said the dual power system in Jammu and Kashmir is proving to be the “biggest hurdle” for the National Conference government in serving the people. “Our projects and proposals are not cleared (by the Lt Governor) and such a scenario is against the democratic system.”
