NEW DELHI, Feb 3: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad today asked the Government to bring a bill in Rajya Sabha proposing restoration of Statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Azad said, “I appeal to you, if Jammu and Kashmir has to progress and if we have to fight our enemies at the borders, we need to take our own people into confidence and give them love.”
He said the Government should “bring a bill in the House and Statehood to be restored” adding that legislative assembly elections must be held after statehood is restored for Jammu and Kashmir.
He said any measure that upsets the people residing in the Northeast and border areas, including Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Punjab, should not be taken.
Referring to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Azad said she taught him that “we cannot fight on multiple fronts with Pakistan and China”.
The Congress leader claimed that the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are not happy as outsiders can now buy their land and work there, unlike in the past.
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Arguing against Jammu and Kashmir being converted into a Union Territory, he also claimed that the law and order situation in Kashmir was 100 times better when it was a State as compared to now, militancy was at its lowest and development works were at their best, irrespective of whichever Government was in power in the State.
He alleged that tourism industry in Kashmir was now finished, along with education as schools and colleges are closed for almost two years, while it also lags behind in key parameters like health.
However, Azad congratulated the Narendra Modi-led Government for executing the long standing demand that Panchayati Raj System be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir.
Azad asked the Government to withdraw the three contentious farm bills without making it a prestige issue. Declaring that disrespect to the national flag cannot be tolerated, he also condemned the violence at Red Fort during the farmers’ tractor rally on Republic Day.
He suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself should make the announcement on repeal of the bills.
Modi was present in the House at the time.
Earlier in the day, five hours were added to the discussion on the President’s address to also allow the raising of issues related to farm bills. The new farm laws have led to protests at border points of the national capital and several parts of the country.
“I urge the Government to withdraw these three bills,” he said, and added that the Government should set up a committee to find out the whereabouts of people “who have gone missing” during the farmers’ protest. The senior Congress leader cited several examples, including one during his own party’s rule in 1988, of the Government giving in to the demands of farmers.
Referring to the violence that broke out in Delhi during farmers tractor rally on January 26, the Congress leader said the entire opposition condemns the incident as “it is against democracy”.
“Disrespect to the national flag cannot be tolerated,” he said while demanding the strictest of actions against the culprits.
Highlighting the problems which farmers would face because of the new laws, Azad said Government should see repealing of the legislations as an a “prestige issue”.
Describing farmers as “annadata”, the Congress veteran said there was no point in confronting them. Instead, the Government should focus on other important issues, including on revival of the economy.
Azad also raised the issue of registration of cases under stringent provisions against certain media persons and also his party colleague Shashi Tharoor.
“Shashi Tharoor was Minister of State for External Affairs. He has represented the country outside. How can he be an anti-national…Then we all are anti-nationals,” he said, and demanded withdrawal of sedation cases against them in the interest of democracy. (PTI)
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