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| Statehood to J&K: Cong mobilizing support of all 233 opposition Lok Sabha members to mount pressure | | | SANDEEP BHAT
Early Times Report
Jammu, July 18: The Congress party, under the leadership of its president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, has launched a concerted effort to rally opposition parties in support of restoring full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, scheduled to begin on July 21 and conclude on August 12.
The move follows a joint letter by Kharge and Gandhi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the government to introduce legislation to grant full statehood to the Union Territory and to include Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The Congress’s campaign, which includes a series of protests and a high-profile ‘Chalo Delhi’ movement, underscores the party’s determination to make the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood a central issue in the parliamentary session.
The initiative has garnered support from key regional parties, including the National Conference (NC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as well as the broader INDIA bloc, which collectively commands 233 MPs in Parliament.
On July 16, Kharge and Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Modi, emphasizing that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have consistently demanded the restoration of full statehood for the past five years, a demand they described as “legitimate and firmly grounded in their constitutional and democratic rights.”
The leaders highlighted the unprecedented nature of Jammu and Kashmir’s downgrade from a state to a Union Territory following its bifurcation in August 2019, after the revocation of Article 370. “This is the first time in independent India that a full-fledged state has been downgraded to a Union Territory,” the letter stated, urging the government to act on its earlier promises to restore statehood.
The Congress has framed the statehood demand as a non-negotiable commitment, citing public assurances made by Prime Minister Modi, including his statements in Bhubaneswar on May 19, 2024, and Srinagar on September 19, 2024, where he reaffirmed the government’s intent to restore statehood.
The party also pointed to the Supreme Court’s directive to restore statehood “as soon The Congress party has launched a concerted effort to rally opposition parties in support of restoring full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir during the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Parliament
The move follows a joint letter by Malikarjuna Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The Congress's campaign underscores the party’s determination to make the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood a central issue.
The initiative has garnered support from key regional parties, including the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party.
To amplify the issue, the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC), led by President Tariq Hameed Karra, has planned a series of protests to build momentum.
On July 19, the party will hold demonstrations in Kashmir, followed by protests in Jammu on July 20. The campaign will culminate in the ‘Chalo Delhi’ movement on July 21, where Congress workers from every block and district of Jammu and Kashmir will converge in the national capital to “symbolically gherao” Parliament.
Karra emphasized the grassroots nature of the campaign, stating, “From grassroots workers to top leadership, the Congress is committed to this cause. Without our intervention, restoring statehood would be impossible.”
The Congress’s call for statehood has resonated with key political figures in Jammu and Kashmir. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, whose National Conference is an INDIA bloc ally, welcomed the initiative, stating, “We are not demanding something that was not promised to us.” Abdullah expressed gratitude to Kharge and Gandhi for raising the issue, adding that the Supreme Court’s directive and the government’s own assurances necessitate immediate action.
“We were waiting for this day when the opposition would raise our voice in Parliament and Delhi,” he said, signaling strong regional backing.
Sources said that Congress’s efforts are part of a broader strategy by the INDIA bloc to corner the Modi government on multiple fronts during the Monsoon Session.
A meeting of the bloc’s floor leaders, scheduled for July 19 at Kharge’s residence, will finalize the opposition’s parliamentary strategy.
The bloc’s 233 MPs, including 100 from Congress in the Lok Sabha and 50 in the Rajya Sabha, provide a formidable platform to press these demands.
Karra highlighted the strength of this coalition, stating, “The letter sent by Rahul Gandhi and Kharge ji represents the collective strength of 233 members of the INDIA bloc. It is a significant voice in Parliament.” The Congress has also reached out to other opposition parties to ensure a united front, with indications that the bloc’s collective push could lead to intense debates in both houses of Parliament. |
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