Congress escalates J&K statehood demand, targets Modi govt's 10-month delay; launches ‘Delhi Chalo’

New Delhi: The Congress party on Monday accused the Narendra Modi-led government of failing to fulfil its commitment to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, despite ten months having passed since the purported deadline.

Jammu-Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra announced the party's "Delhi Chalo" march, a culmination of their "Our State, Our Right" campaign, which has been active for the past six months across all districts of Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that 233 Members of Parliament from the INDIA alliance are supporting their cause, with further backing expected from alliance partners.

Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir reiterated the purpose of their journey to Delhi, stating it's to remind the central government of its unfulfilled promise. Mir highlighted that the BJP had pledged reorganisation, delimitation, elections, and subsequent statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. "Ten months have passed, but the Modi government has not taken any steps in that direction. In such a situation, Congress is fulfilling its duty, and we are going on behalf of the people to remind the Prime Minister and the government to fulfil their promise," he told ANI.

The demand for statehood has been a persistent one from regional political parties in Jammu and Kashmir since August 2019, when the Central government abrogated Article 370, revoking the region's special status and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

With inputs from ANI