JAMMU: Congress leader Vikar Rasool Wani on Sunday claimed that the BJP-led Centre is neither serious about holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir nor restoring its statehood.
The J-K Pradesh Congress Committee president also sought support from the people for the ‘Bharat Jodo Padyatra’ launched by party leader Rahul Gandhi to defeat “politics of hate and division” in the country.
“The Centre is not serious about fulfilling the commitment of early restoration of statehood and holding assembly elections (in Jammu and Kashmir), and only hoodwinking people by issuing vague statements from time to time for the last three and half years,” Wani said, addressing a workers’ convention in Samba district.
He said the vague statements by some central ministers from time to time about restoration of statehood and assembly elections do not inspire confidence and trust among people as the promises were never fulfilled by the BJP government.
The Congress leader questioned the BJP, saying the people want to know the benefits of the abrogation of special status guaranteed to them under Article 370 of the Constitution.
“People had not voted for the BJP to divide and downgrade our historical state into Union Territory and snatch our rights over lands and jobs, guaranteed to people by the last Dogra ruler through state subject laws.
“BJP only betrayed and be-fooled people… the situation is worse today than earlier, as Kashmiri pandits, migrant labourers and other minorities are becoming targets of selective killings under the BJP regime,” he said.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had on Saturday hinted at the possibility of the Centre considering restoring state status to Jammu and Kashmir.
She dropped the hint while talking about the distribution of funds to the states by the Centre as per the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission.
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