Srinagar, Sep 27: Congress Legislature Party leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Sunday said the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir was a commitment made by the Centre and not a demand for “charity”, asserting that the issue should have the support of all political parties in the Union Territory.
Speaking ahead of the fourth day of the ongoing autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Mir, as per the news agency, KNS, said the House would take up an important resolution on statehood and maintained that “1.4 crore people” of Jammu and Kashmir stood behind the demand.
“As far as the restoration of full statehood is concerned, the Assembly is not asking for charity. This is a commitment,” Mir said.
He said the erstwhile state was bifurcated and its powers were taken away, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi had subsequently committed that statehood would be restored after elections.
“Two years have passed. If he does not give the powers, if he does not restore the state, if he does not return the power, then the commitment made by the government will not be fulfilled,” Mir said.
He said the absence of full statehood had also created a situation of “dual power centres”, which, according to him, was creating difficulties for ordinary people in getting their grievances addressed.
“Whose problems are going through which door and coming from which door, this is the biggest problem for the common people,” he said.
Mir said the Assembly had already passed a resolution on statehood earlier and the issue had now been brought before the House again as a reminder. He, however, said some portions of the fresh resolution relating to autonomy could be debated.
“There can be an independent opinion on that. But as far as restoration of the state is concerned, I think the entire state should be unanimous on that,” he said.
Responding to criticism from the BJP that the Congress had failed to make its position clear on the resolution, Mir said his party’s stand on statehood was “crystal clear”.
“We are not dual like them,” he said, referring to the BJP.
