States »NortPosted at: Aug 2 2021 10:49PM Azad bats for restoration of statehood to J&K
Jammu, Aug 2 (UNI) Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday demanded restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“The assurance given by the Prime Minister and Home Minister in the All-Party Meeting should be implemented in the short-term as it will benefit the people,” Mr Azad told reporters at a press conference.
He demanded statehood restoration for Jammu and Kashmir, asserting, “Bureaucracy is indoor work. We demand a conclusion and wind up of this and provide statehood.”
“Legislative assembly elections should be conducted after statehood,” he said and also appealed Kashmiri Pandit community from all across the globe to come back.
“The situation in J&K is not ideal as in a democracy there are elected representatives. From the last four years, there is no elected representative in Jammu and Kashmir which has pushed it back in many fields,” Azad said.
He said that Governor Rule alone is not enough to make progress, “so it is very important to have an assembly too as we have got feedback from the people as well.”
“Jammu and Kashmir has been going through a bad phase for the last four years and people are getting poorer with each passing day,” he claimed.
“Tourism has been affected and the same thing is happening with the fruit industry,” said the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister adding, “in Samba and Kathua districts, 75 percent industry is closed now, these are the issues I have said in the Parliament.”
On security clearance of people to get passports, Azad said, “In Kashmir, stone pelters used to be locked up in jails even before this and this is nothing new because everyone knows that anyone who speaks against the country has to face jail and it doesn't require any verification.”
On Snoopgate Row, he said that he is not bothered by the Pegasus row and also urged the Opposition to move on considering the government’s silence as a signal of the Israeli software usage.
However, on Punjab polls, he said, “Congress party will have to work hard in the 2024 general elections but I am sure that the grand old party will be re-elected in Punjab.”
He also believed that no front was being formed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
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