The Indian National Congress chapter in occupied Jammu and Kashmir has announced a series of protests, including the ‘Chalo Delhi’ campaign, and has plans to “symbolically gherao” Parliament as part of its intensified push for statehood restoration. According to Kashmir Media Service, the party claimed that it was impossible to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood without its intervention, which has the support of 233 INDIA bloc members. President of Indian National Congress chapter in occupied Jammu and Kashmir Tariq Hameed Karra talking to reporters in Jammu said.

“The Jammu and Kashmir Congress has decided that it will hold a protest in Kashmir valley on July 19 and in Jammu on July 20 so that message on statehood reaches the authorities. After that, we have the ‘Chalo Delhi Chalo’ campaign on July 21.” He said under the ‘Delhi Chalo’ campaign, workers from every block and district of the territory will leave for Delhi on July 21 under the leadership of the Congress.

Once in the Indian capital, they and the INDIA bloc leaders would raise the issue. “Our effort will be to hold protests in front of Parliament and gherao it symbolically. The goal is to raise our voice in Delhi so that it reaches all members of Parliament, among whom 233 are members of the INDIA bloc supporting our cause. This is a significant step,” Karra said. The former minister said the campaign would stretch from Kashmir to Delhi. “Alongside 233 INDIA bloc MPs, we will raise our voice in Parliament and on the streets.

This marks the beginning of a significant movement from the Congress party.” Underlining that the Congress has 100 members in the Lok Sabha and 50 in the Rajya Sabha, Karra said, “It has the full backing of its allies. The letter sent by Rahul Gandhi and (Mallikarjun) Kharge represents the collective strength of 233 members of the INDIA bloc.

It is a significant voice in Parliament, and if anyone acknowledges that, it is a welcome step.” On whether Congress plans to approach the Supreme Court on the issue, he said. “We had earlier clarified this point: when the National Conference brought a bill on the issue in the Assembly, we said that since the Supreme Court has deemed the government’s decision legal, for us, the achievable goal now is the restoration of statehood.”

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)