Congress to support J&K government from outside, demands restoration of statehood

The Congress has decided to support the National Conference-led government in the Union Territory from outside and not join the Council of Ministers, party’s state unit chief Tariq Hameed Karra told India Today TV.

Karra said the Congress will not take any ministerial berths in the Cabinet for the moment as it is “unhappy” that the Centre has not restored Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.

Karra said, “Our intention is not to haggle for power but pressurise the central government to restore full statehood. We will support the Omar Abdullah government from outside and not be a part of the government.”

“We want democracy shoplifting be restored in its true essence and full statehood should be given,” he added.

Karra’s statement came after National Conference leader Omar Abdullah took oath as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory, first after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

Abdullah was unanimously elected the leader of the National Conference’s legislative party days after te party won 42 seats and its ally Congress bagged six seats in the recently held Assembly election.

However, after the swearing-in, Omar Abdullah said that it is for the Congress to decide (whether to join the Cabinet). “We have been in discussions with them. Principally around the fact that as a UT with a unicameral house, we don’t have the upper house. Therefore, the size of the government is severely restricted. Gone are the days when you would see 40 or 45 ministers”, he said.

Abdullah, echoing the Congress, also lamented that the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir has not been restored, calling it “unfortunate”.

“I have always maintained that our status as a UT is a temporary one. We have commitments from the government of India, particularly from the Prime Minister, home minister and others that statehood will be restored to J&K, and we hope that happens at the earliest”, he said.

Several opposition leaders, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mallikarjun Kharge from Congress, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, CPI’s Prakash Karat and D Raja, DMK’s Kanimozhi and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule were in attendence. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti was also present.