| Bhalla demands restoration of statehood, vows to intensify struggle | | |  Early Times Report
JAMMU, Nov 17: As part of the Congress Party's ongoing 'Ghar Ghar Dastak, Har Ghar Dastak' outreach programme, Working President of the Jammu & Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) and former minister Raman Bhalla on (day) addressed a large public rally at Ajeet Nagar, Gadigarh in the Jammu South-R.S. Pura constituency, mobilizing people in support of the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The rally witnessed enthusiastic participation from local residents, party workers, youth groups and panchayat representatives, who gathered to express their growing concern over the prolonged delay in granting statehood despite repeated assurances from the BJP-led government.
Addressing the gathering, Raman Bhalla reiterated that statehood is not a favour but a constitutional right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which was unjustly taken away in August 2019. He asserted that the Congress Party will intensify its mass movement to ensure that the dignity and democratic rights of the people are fully restored.
"Statehood was snatched from the people of Jammu and Kashmir without their consent," Bhalla said, adding, "Congress will not sit silent. We will take this struggle to every village, every ward and every household until full statehood is restored."
Bhalla strongly criticized the BJP for its criminal silence and deliberate evasiveness on the issue. He said that the BJP leadership, which once promised swift restoration of statehood, has now conveniently chosen to ignore its own commitments to the people.
"The BJP has betrayed the trust of the people. Their silence proves that they have no intention of returning statehood. They make promises before elections and forget them afterwards," he added.
The Congress leader accused the ruling party of undermining grassroots democracy by weakening institutions and centralizing power.
Bhalla added that the 'Ghar Ghar Dastak' campaign is part of the Congress Party's larger mission to connect directly with citizens, understand their grievances and mobilize collective public pressure to demand accountability from the Government.
He urged people to stay united, remain politically aware, and raise their voice for their rights peacefully and democratically.
He emphasized that the restoration of statehood is essential not only for administrative autonomy but for preserving the identity, rights and honour of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Congress leaders and local representatives also addressed the gathering, highlighting public issues such as rising unemployment, price hike, delay in development projects and the need for strengthening local governance bodies.
The event concluded with a pledge from party workers and attendees to intensify the campaign in every corner of the constituency in the coming weeks.
The programme was organised by Block president S.Gurmeet Singh at Ajeet Nagar, Gadigarh.
Amrit Bali, Master Amrik Singh, Pawan Bhagat, Gurmeet Singh, S.P. Harjeet Singh, Rajinder Singh, Devinder Singh, Vishav Nagrik, Bhopinder Singh, Lalit Sharma, Balbir Singh, Tarlok Singh, Chaman Lal, Raghbir Singh, and others also spoke on the occasion. |
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