Delhi, Nowgam incidents belying Centre’s claims: Karra

Jammu, Nov 16: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Tariq Hameed Karra Sunday stated that Delhi and Nowgam incidents were belying claims of the central government about wiping out terrorism completely.

He was responding to media queries after kickstarting the fourth phase of the party's statehood movement at Purani Mandi Jammu.

JKPCC president said that the major concern was the claims of the BJP-led central government.

“In 2019, they had taken a stance that terrorism was due to Article 370 and 35 A. Both the articles were abrogated. Ironically prior to their abrogation, the terrorism was restricted to Kashmir province but post abrogation it has spilled to Jammu region as well. We had been reiterating that the way experiments were being made, issues were being mishandled; wrong statements were being made, its fallouts would be experienced in other parts as well,” he said.

Karra stated, “Today whether it is Nowgam or Delhi – the incidents are belying the claims of the Government of India, which used to say that the terrorism has been wiped out. If that’s so then how such terror incidents are happening.”

He recalled that when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Gujarat Chief Minister, he used to target the then Prime Minister with his prickly posers about the terror incidents.

“He would ask – from where the terrorism is emanating and he (Modi) would treat the answers that it was emanating from across the border with ridicule. Now he is the Prime Minister and the terror incidents are taking place. He needs to answer the same questions,” JKPCC president said.

With regard to controversy being raised by Jammu based parties about the Muslim students accorded majority number of medical seats in SMVDU, Karra stated that it was an attempt to vitiate the situation. “Our country is known for its Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb. We want people to know how a particular party, when it is short of relevant issues, uses religious cards to divide people. Whether it is the economy, foreign affairs, inflation, recession…they have failed on every front. When they have nothing to explain to the people of the country, they raise such issues to cover-up their failures and deflect people’s attention,” he said.

Karra stated that it was the indifference of the central government which forced the Congress party to launch a movement for statehood restoration.

“Given the dill-dallying tactics of the central government in restoring statehood to J&K, notwithstanding the promises by the Prime Minister and the Home Minister and even its assurance to the Supreme Court on this account, the Congress has decided to reach out to the people of J&K,” he said.

JKPCC president said that for the past nine months, Congress leaders and workers had been visiting every corner of the J&K to galvanise people about their right to statehood.

“In this connection only, today we have come to the people of Purani Mandi in old Jammu city to deliberate on that issue, which is not just an issue concerning Congress. But it is an issue impacting 1.40 Cr people of J&K,” he said.

When asked about the position of Congress after Bihar polls, he maintained, “Congress is in the hearts of people.” “Bihar elections have vindicated our leader Rahul Gandhi, who in advance had warned the entire country that the governments are being formed on the basis of ‘vote-chori’,” he alleged.