- District Congress Jammu Submits Memorandum to President of India Regarding Statehood and MGNREGA
- Statehood Is Not a Favour but a Constitutional Right of the People of J&K: District Congress Jammu
Jammu, 07-02-2026: The Congress party today organized a massive protest demonstration in Jammu under the banner of “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram” while simultaneously pressing for the restoration of full statehood to Jammu & Kashmir. Hundreds of party workers and leaders gathered in a show of strength and marched to submit a memorandum addressed to the Hon’ble President of India through the Deputy Commissioner Jammu. The memorandum was formally submitted by former Minister J&K and President DCC Jammu Urban Yogesh Sawhney along with President DCC Jammu Rural Neeraj Kundan. The protest was presided over by J&K Pradesh Congress Committee President Shri Tariq Hameed Karra, along with AICC General Secretary & former Minister Jb. Ghulam Ahmad Mir and PCC Working President Raman Bhalla.
The programme was held as part of a nationwide organizational direction of the Congress party under which District Congress Committees across the Union Territory are submitting memorandums to the President highlighting issues related to unemployment, weakening of rural livelihood schemes, and the urgent demand for restoration of democratic rights and statehood in Jammu & Kashmir. Leaders said the memorandum also incorporated the public sentiment emerging from PCC President Tariq Hameed Karra’s campaign “Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq”, which has intensified the demand for restoration of statehood and democratic governance in the region.
Speaking on the issue, Former Minister J&K and DCC President Jammu Urban Yogesh Sawhney stated that the Congress party has launched the “MGNREGA Bachao Sangram” because the scheme represents the lifeline of rural India and particularly the economically weaker sections of Jammu & Kashmir. He said the memorandum submitted to the President highlights that thousands of workers depend on MGNREGA wages for survival, yet payments are delayed, job cards remain inactive and work availability has drastically reduced. According to him, this reflects administrative neglect and policy indifference which is pushing rural families into distress migration and debt. He added that the party has demanded immediate release of pending wages, guaranteed employment days, enhanced funding allocation and accountability mechanisms so that the scheme functions in its original spirit as a social security safety net.
Sawhney further said the memorandum strongly emphasizes restoration of statehood as a constitutional and democratic necessity. He asserted that people of Jammu & Kashmir have been deprived of their elected government for years and administrative decisions are being taken without public representation. He added that Tariq Hameed Karra’s campaign “Hamari Riyasat Hamara Haq” reflects the voice of every citizen who wants dignity, participation and democratic accountability. He stressed that only a full-fledged state government can ensure transparent implementation of welfare schemes, employment generation and protection of rights, and therefore Congress will continue peaceful democratic struggles until statehood is restored.
DCC President Jammu Rural Neeraj Kundan said the protest was not merely political but a representation of the suffering of rural labourers, farmers and unemployed youth who are facing economic hardships due to weakening of welfare mechanisms. He explained that in rural Jammu areas, MGNREGA once provided stability to families during difficult agricultural seasons but today workers struggle even to receive their entitled wages. He said the memorandum clearly mentions that irregular implementation of the scheme violates the promise of livelihood security and increases inequality between urban and rural populations. He added that the party has urged the President to intervene and ensure that the scheme is protected from budget cuts and administrative delays.
Kundan also emphasized that restoration of statehood is directly linked with economic welfare and governance accountability. He said absence of an elected government weakens public grievance redressal and delays development projects, leaving common citizens unheard. He added that through this memorandum Congress has conveyed that people of Jammu & Kashmir seek constitutional empowerment, not temporary administrative arrangements. He maintained that the growing public participation in the movement proves that statehood is no longer a political demand but a collective aspiration of society, and Congress will continue mobilization across all districts until democratic rights are fully restored.
The Congress leaders alleged that MGNREGA workers are suffering due to delayed payments, reduced work days, and shrinking financial allocations, pushing rural families toward economic insecurity. They demanded protection of the scheme and immediate corrective measures along with restoration of statehood to ensure accountable governance. Senior leaders reiterated that similar memorandums will continue to be submitted across districts of Jammu & Kashmir as part of a coordinated campaign to safeguard welfare schemes and restore democratic governance in the region.
Prominent among those joined the protest include Former Minister Shri Mula Ram , Ex-M.P. Tarlok Singh Bajwa, Ex-MLCs Th. Balbir Singh & Shri Ved Mahajan I/C HQ, S. Man Singh Rathore, Th. Manmohan Singh, Shri Vinod Sharma, Thakur Hari Singh Chib, Shashi Sharma, Narinder Gupta, Amrit Bali,S. Gurmeet Singh, Satish Sharma, Smt.Zahida Khan, Ch. Hussain Waffa (ST), Vijay Sharma (Seva Dal) , Ajay Lakohotra (NSUI), Bushan Dogra, Sanjeev Panda, S.Gurdarshan Singh, Michel Wazir,Smt. Inderjeet Kaur, S. Paramjeet Singh, Dwarika Chowdhary, S. Praveen Singh, , Varinder Singh Manhas, Iqbal Dar, Vijayant Pathania, Sohit Sharma, Rakesh Sharma, Rajesh Sharma, Ashok Bhagat,Chander Shekhar, Latish Sharma, Gurmeet Singh, Sanjeev Katal, H.S. Bagi, Pawan Sharma, Praveen Bhalla Aman Bawa, Anuj Sharma, Bimla Slathia, Suman Wazir, Monika Sharma, Amna, Anuradha Sharma, Praveen Akhtar, Romal Singh, Yash Pal Sharma, Balkar Singh, KD Singh, Atul Sharma, Amit Gupta, Maqbool Bhat, Arun Nayer, Rajinder Singh Jamwal, Rajesh Paul, Munish Sharma, Vijay Malhotra, Pawan Sharma, Ashok Sharma, Vijay Kumar, Raj Kumar Des Raj, Mohan Lal, Baldev Raj, Inderjeet, Ganesh Dutt, Prakash Singh, Janak Singh, Devi Dass, Riyaz Khan,Sunil Singh, Anirudh Sawhney, Gagan Randawah, Anmol Kohli, Suhaib Manhas, Mehul Abrol, Happy Randawah, Prashotam Singh, Vijay Tagotra and others.