Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra on Wednesday accused the Centre of failing to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and alleged that people were suffering under a “dual control system” after the Assembly elections.
Addressing a workers’ convention here, Karra said the people of Jammu and Kashmir were “sandwiched between two power centres”, which he described as a negation of the people’s mandate.
“Central government has completely failed to restore the promised statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as the BJP could not secure enough seats in the assembly polls to form the government,” he said.
“As a result, people are sandwiched between two power centres. The people are the worst sufferers of this dual control system,” he added.
The convention was organised as part of the Congress party’s “Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan” during the week-long commemoration of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s martyrdom anniversary.
It was attended by several senior party leaders, including working president Raman Bhalla, former ministers Mula Ram and Yogesh Sawhney, chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma and other leaders.
Karra further alleged that districts in the Jammu region, including Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur and Reasi, had been adversely affected after the abrogation of special status and the downgrading of the erstwhile state into a Union Territory.
He claimed that local youth were being deprived of jobs due to the recruitment of outsiders and alleged that land and natural resources, including sand, bajri and forest produce, were being exploited at the cost of local residents.
The Congress leader said the party was fighting for the restoration of statehood through its campaign “Hamari Riyasat, Hamara Haq” and the outreach programme “Ghar Ghar Dastak, Har Ghar Dastak”.
“Without statehood, people will not get back their snatched democratic rights,” he said.
Karra also stressed the need to strengthen booth-level party structures by appointing booth agents and committees to reinforce the Congress organisation at the grassroots level.
Addressing the gathering, Bhalla accused the BJP of pursuing “politics of hate and communalism” and targeting certain sections of society for vote-bank politics.
He said the Congress stood for secular and inclusive policies aimed at maintaining social harmony and peace.
Bhalla also alleged that Jammu had become a hub of drug and liquor mafia activities and claimed that unemployed youth were increasingly falling prey to drug abuse.
