Srinagar, Oct 4: All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Sunday questioned the delay in restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying the Centre has yet to fulfil its commitment.
Former J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina, however, maintained that the Centre would honour its commitment to restore statehood to J&K and asserted that his party was also in favour of the restoration.
Participating in the fifth ‘Halla Bolle’ conclave organised by a news portal here, Mir and Raina put forth their respective views amid concerns raised by participants over the handling of Jammu and Kashmir situation by the BJP-led Central government.
Responding to the concerns, Raina maintained that the Centre would honour its commitment to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
He, however, sought to highlight the significant change in the overall security situation in the Union Territory since the August 2019 developments, saying people can now travel freely across Jammu and Kashmir without facing the frequent checks and restrictions that were common earlier.
Referring to the June 24, 2024 all-party meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mir said political parties had contested the subsequent elections on the basis of Modi’s assurance that after elections the Centre would engage with elected representatives and restore statehood “as early as possible”.
“This is a gentleman’s word. This is the word of the Prime Minister of India,” he said, pointing out that two years had since passed but statehood was not restored till date.
Mir, who is also member of J&K Legislative Assembly, alleged that Jammu and Kashmir is faced with dual power centres in the absence of the statehood which is badly affecting the governance and addressing the problems being faced by the people on various fronts.
“I do not agree with the BJP leader (Raina) who claimed that the J&K Government is powerful enough to take its own decisions…the dual power centre is not only delaying administrative decisions but also affecting the people.
“Files and proposals are moving from one office to another, creating unnecessary delays and leaving the administration without the authority to take timely decisions. Ultimately, it is the people who are suffering because of this uncertainty,” the Congress leader said.
Advocating restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest, he said there should be a single, accountable government so that responsibility can be fixed.
“The government should not be able to say this was not within my power,” he said.
He also alleged that the BJP government at the Centre is not treating J&K at par with other parts of the country.
“Delhi does not treat this region in the same way as it treats other parts of the country while the Congress has always looked at the 140 crore people of the country equally,” he said.
Referring to Ladakh, he said the good thing about the people there is that they keep politics aside and come together to safeguard their interests. “Unfortunately, that has not happened in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the valley.”
Earlier, BJP leader Raina assured the people that Jammu and Kashmir will get statehood as promised by the Central government as “we are also in favour of its restoration”.
“I do not agree with the notion that the J&K chief minister is powerless. This is a wrong narrative. The chief minister has financial powers, budgetary powers and all the necessary platforms and authority to run the government. The elected government has the powers required to take decisions and address the concerns of the people,” he said.
Raina said the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir had improved significantly since August 2019, allowing people to travel freely across the UT without facing the repeated stops, checks and questioning that were common earlier.
He also pointed to the changed security environment by saying that people could stay out late, including watching cricket matches that continued until the early hours, without facing restrictions or security-related interruptions.
Raina, however, faced some tough questions from several participants, who challenged his assertion that the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir had improved significantly.
Some participants appeared unconvinced by his assessment and questioned whether the situation on the ground had changed to the extent being claimed by the BJP leader.
