New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Congress on Friday (July 17) announced that it will participate in the National Conference’s (NC) protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20 demanding restoration of statehood for J&K, which was downgraded to a Union Territory (UT) after the reading down of Article 370 in 2019.

The party also said that it will hold a march to the J&K Lieutenant Governor’s house in Jammu on July 19 to press for the restoration of statehood, reported The Tribune.

“The NC has invited the Congress leadership, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, to join the protest. Statehood represents the aspirations, emotions and sentiments of 1.4 crore people of Jammu and Kashmir. Any individual, NGO or political party that wants to join this movement is welcome,” said J&K Congress president Tariq Hamid Karra on Friday while addressing a press conference in Jammu.

Karra added that the extent of the party’s central leadership’s participation in NC’s July 20 protest would be decided by the Congress high command.

Karra also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government of failing to honour its commitments on J&K’s constitutional and political status.

“The issue before us is much larger. Let us not focus on smaller issues. Right now, the larger issue deserves our attention,” said Karra, when asked about Congress-NC relations.

The Congress said that it has planned a march from Lakhanpur – the gateway to J&K from Punjab – to Lolab to build pressure on the Union government if it fails to fulfil its commitment to restore statehood.

“We hope the Government of India fulfils its unfulfilled promises. If it does not, the Indian National Congress will undertake the march from Lakhanpur to Lolab on an appropriate date. We are working out the logistics,” said Karra.

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