Rajouri, February 16, 2025: Taking a cue from the statement of Union Minister Mr. Kiran Rijiju here yesterday, refusing to give any timeline for restoration of statehood, JKPCC Chief Tariq Hameed Karra today hit out at the Modi government at the centre for its clear message that it is not ready to consider granting statehood to Jammu & Kashmir in the near future.
Lashing out at the BJP led centre government for its betrayal over its repeated commitments with regard to early restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir, he said that center committed on the floor of the parliament, before the hon’ble Supreme Court and in numerous public rallies by Prime Minister & Home Minister ,Mr Karra said that Rijiju’s statement yesterday is a clear indication of centre’s intentions not to honour it’s commitments to grant early statehood to J&K. JKPCC Chief who is on a campaign of Jammu Province , on the party’s mission ” Hamari Riyasat,Hamara Haq” for early restoration of statehood, called upon the people to be ready to fight for getting back their dentity,dignity,status and rights as a state,while addressing a largely attended workers convention at Doongi in district Rajouri today alongwith a team of senior congress leaders including Working President Raman Bhalla, MLA Rajouri Iftikhar Ahmed,District President & former Minister Shabir Ahmed Khan,DDC Rajouri Sain Abdul Rashid, Iqbal Shawl, Ashok Sharma,Ricky Dalotra & several others.
Shri Karra said that during the UPA government, a medical college, besides half a dozen degree colleges, ITIs, and other health & education institutions, besides sports stadiums, were opened, apart from various other infrastructure & development works in the district, but BJP leaders make false claims, whereas BJP government neglected the border belt of Rajouri – Poonch during ten years of its rule in the field of connectivity, health, and education infrastructure.
The railway project initiated by Shri Rahul Gandhi after his visit to Rajouri in 2012 and its survey conducted proposing a project cost of 13608 crore has been abandoned. He said that several hundred schools were closed and merged.
He highlighted the large-scale unemployment due to the anti-youth policies of the previous administration, as the daily wagers, ad-hoc, temporary employees of all departments are still suffering for years, RET was stopped, teachers recruitment stopped, army recruitment was changed to the Agniveer Scheme, and likewise, as a result, unemployment is highest.
Karra sahib appreciated the efforts of local MLA Iftikhar Ahmed to serve people and assured people to raise their genuine demand of a tehsil in the area as projected by MLA.
Working President Raman Bhalla in his hard-hitting speech, lashed out at the BJP for keeping the powers of the elected persons and government with the Lt. Governor despite elections and not restoring the state. They made repeated commitments for statehood but betrayed the faith of the people to keep people powerless.
He said the BJP government has pushed youth to frustration and drugs due to large-scale unemployment. There is an unprecedented price rise and huge taxation. People are suffering a lot. He also referred to the betrayal of the refugees of POJK, whose one-time settlement package was recommended by Congress in 2014, but the BJP government gave only meager amount to them.
MLA Iftikhar Ahmed raised the issues of the area regarding tehsil status and other issues of water and power, ration, large-scale unemployment, etc. He sought the attention of the government in this regard.
DCC President Shabir Ahmed Khan highlighted the neglect of the Rajouri Poonch region by the BJP government, especially neglecting the railway project besides road and electricity projects.
People raised slogans to restore statehood besides supporting Congress’s Abhiyan of ” Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, and Jai Samvidhan.”. Several prominent leaders attended & spoke, including Shakeel Mir, Sajad Tariq, and Vijay Sharma Seva Dal Bittu Shah, Amit Sayal, Sushil Sharma, Suraj Langeh, Balkrishan. Rajinder Singh, Vipin Kumar, Deeraj Sharma, Sat Pal Sharma, Ravinder Chouhan & several DCC, BCC leaders & other prominent leaders.