Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Jan 18: The former Deputy Chief Minister and senior Congress leader, Tara Chand, today said that people in Jammu and Kashmir are currently dealing with a variety of issues, including the loss of their land, the revocation of the region’s special status, an increase in unemployment due to the government’s inability to fill jobs, and skyrocketing prices.
While addressing a press conference here, the Congress leader said that rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir should be restored as they were before the repealing of Article 370.
“The right to choose our representatives, whether they be Sarpanches, Panchs, or any other elected representative, should be restored, and we will demand that we be granted statehood as soon as possible. In addition, land rights and employment rights should be restored to how they were before Article 370 was repealed. Elections should be held with residents running, not outsiders. Our demands will be for the control of inflation and the regularisation of contractual and need-based employees,” he said.
Chand admitted that the quitting Congress was his biggest mistake as the party has major contribution for nation building.
“Some of our leaders had strayed, including me, who left Congress to join a different party. This was my biggest mistake, and I had previously recognized it in public. I have previously acknowledged that quitting the Congress party, which had given us recognition and with which we had worked for 30–40 years, was our biggest mistake. After a long struggle and numerous sacrifices, Congress is the only party that contributed to the country’s liberation and provided it with a constitution that guarantees everyone’s equality. The party built up the nation’s infrastructure, including the highways, universities, and healthcare facilities. We are now ranked among the top 10 countries in the world, and this is due to Congress,” he said.
The Congress leader said that Jammu and Kashmir will benefit from the BJY. “As you may know, we joined the Congress a few days ago in Delhi. Yesterday, almost 60 senior leaders, including some legislators, joined in Jammu, and today, about 18 top leaders are joining in Srinagar. The current Bharat Jodo Yatra is having a positive impact on the nation as a whole and is ushering in a new era. I am confident that Jammu and Kashmir will benefit from the yatra as well,” he said.
On Article 370 Tara Chand said that Congress leaders protested in the parliament and even took to the streets after Art 370 was repealed. “After that, we pushed for statehood and the constitutional protections that were included in the 370 via press conferences and rallies,” he said.
The Congress leader said that there should not be any problem in Lal Singh joining the BJY.
“If you try to comprehend this yatra via the issues that Rahul Gandhi has raised, it becomes obvious that this is not a political yatra and that everyone who wants to join and support the commitments is welcome. Lal Singh has not been invited, but there shouldn’t be any problems if someone wants to get involved in the campaign. We have not sent any invitation to Lal Singh, and the party will think about it,” he said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
