Restore statehood or face Jantar Mantar protest, J-K Deputy CM warns
text_fields
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary on Saturday warned that the National Conference will stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi if the Centre does not restore statehood to the Union Territory as promised.
Speaking to reporters, Choudhary said restoring statehood was the principal resolution from the party’s recent Dachigam meeting in Srinagar and will remain its top political priority. “If the Government of India does not fulfil its promise to Jammu and Kashmir and restore statehood, we will be compelled to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar and tell the nation that the promise made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir has not been honoured,” he said.
Choudhary noted that the Centre had assured restoration after Assembly elections, but nearly two years after the government’s formation the pledge remains unkept. He alleged the delay has hurt development and employment in the region, citing persistent unemployment, pending development projects and shortfalls in basic services such as water and electricity. “Jammu and Kashmir is not receiving funding at the level of a full-fledged state,” he said.
He said the planned Delhi protest is part of a roadmap drawn up by party president Farooq Abdullah to take the demand to the national stage. The National Conference will seek backing from opposition parties and has invited the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit to join the agitation. “If the BJP genuinely stands with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, it should join the protest. If it does not, the people will draw their own conclusions,” Choudhary said, adding the demonstration will test which parties truly support the region’s unemployed youth and their rights.
Separately, Choudhary flagged off three specialised essential-services trucks bound for Doda, Udhampur and Jammu, describing the deployment as a step to strengthen service delivery in remote and underserved areas. He also visited the Gadadhar temple in Mubarak Mandi to inspect damage after a portion of the temple wall collapsed on Friday.
(Inputs from PTI)