Tariq Hameed Karra, the chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, has called on the Union government to honour its commitment to restoring statehood and constitutional guarantees to Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking at the party headquarters in Srinagar, Karra said the demand is not a protest but a request to uphold the promises made by the BJP government in 2019.
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“We strongly demanded that our rights and guarantees, which were snatched away in 2019, be restored,” he said. “Statehood and constitutional guarantees were promised to us, but those promises have only become empty words.”
He said the restoration is a repeated promise from the Union government that is yet to be fulfilled.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance during his visit to Srinagar on September 19, the JKPCC chief reminded the government that statehood should be restored "as soon as possible".
Expressing his disappointment, he said the delay in delivering on this promise is an affront to the aspirations and democratic rights of the people.
“This voice from Srinagar is being sent to the deaf and blind who choose to ignore it,” he said. He said the government’s dismissive attitude cannot persist indefinitely.
He pointed out the directives from the Supreme Court, urging the government to prioritise holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir and restoring statehood as soon as possible. “If you cannot uphold your promises as a moral responsibility, then at least respect the directions of the Supreme Court,” he said.
He said the frustration over the delays in fulfilling commitments made to Jammu and Kashmir is increasing as the region continues to seek clarity on its political future.