Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra on Friday announced that the party will hold a protest march to the Lieutenant Governor’s House in Jammu on July 19 to press for the restoration of full statehood, besides joining the National Conference-led protest in Delhi on July 20.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Rajiv Bhawan, Jammu, Karra said the Congress had advanced its scheduled protest in Jammu from July 20 to July 19 to facilitate the participation of party leaders and workers in the Delhi demonstration the following day.
He said the party would organise a sit-in protest at Maharaja Hari Singh Park from 10.30 am on July 19, followed by a march to the Lieutenant Governor’s House at noon. The procession will pass through the main markets of Jammu city before culminating outside the LG’s residence at Panjtirthi, where a memorandum addressed to the President of India will be submitted through the Lieutenant Governor’s office.
Karra said senior party leaders, legislators, former ministers, former legislators, district presidents, frontal wing leaders, block presidents and workers from both the Jammu and Kashmir regions would participate in the programme.
Claiming that the Congress had spearheaded the movement for the restoration of statehood since October 2024, Karra said the party had organised a series of protests, dharnas, chain hunger strikes and programmes including “Srinagar Chalo”, “Jammu Chalo” and “Delhi Chalo” to press the demand. He also referred to a protest held earlier at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
He said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had recently written to the Prime Minister, urging the Centre to fulfil its commitment to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest.
Welcoming the National Conference’s decision to join the statehood campaign, Karra said the Congress would participate in the NC’s proposed protest in Delhi despite political differences, describing the issue as one concerning the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He also announced that the party was prepared to intensify its agitation if the demand remained unaddressed. “If statehood is not restored in the near future, the Congress will organise a long march from Lakhanpur to Lolab,” Karra said, adding that the proposal had been discussed with Rahul Gandhi and details would be announced later.
Responding to a question, Karra distanced the party from remarks made by senior Congress leader Prof Saifuddin Soz on Article 370, saying the party’s official position remains focused on the restoration of full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.
