Srinagar, July 22 : Reaffirming its stand on the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, the National Conference on Tuesday said it would raise the issue vociferously in the ongoing Parliament session. Party MP Mian Altaf Ahmad made it clear that the National Conference is committed to the demand and supports all voices, including that of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in seeking the reinstatement of Jammu and Kashmir’s full statehood.
“We are definitely supporting it. Our party president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, has already welcomed Rahul Gandhi’s letter urging the Prime Minister to restore J&K’s statehood. We will raise this issue in Parliament without fail,” Mian Altaf told the news agency Kashmir News Trust.
The senior NC parliamentarian, who represents the Anantnag–Rajouri seat in the Lok Sabha, criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party for what he called its evasive approach. “The BJP keeps repeating that statehood will be restored at an ‘appropriate time’, but that is neither the right perspective nor a satisfactory answer. It reflects a lack of seriousness,” he remarked.
Mian Altaf said the BJP seems to be taking the matter of statehood restoration lightly, despite the deep emotional, administrative, and political significance it holds for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He argued that the continued status of Jammu and Kashmir as a Union Territory is unacceptable and unconstitutional, given its historical status as a full-fledged state.
He further said that the National Conference will support any political party or Member of Parliament who stands for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, irrespective of party lines. “This is not about party rivalry; it is about the rights and dignity of our people,” he said. [KNT]
