Onlykashmir.in News Desk
New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) faced disappointment today as Congress leader and Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, did not attend a highly anticipated protest at Jantar Mantar aimed at demanding statehood for Jammu and Kashmir.
Despite a strong turnout of JKPCC workers and supporters, Gandhi’s absence dampened the spirit of the event. The protest witnessed the participation of prominent Congress leaders, including JKPCC President Tariq Hameed Karra, and senior leaders Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Nizam Ud Din Bhat, Vikar Rasool Wani, and Raman Bhalla.
In accordance with its planned programme, upon reaching the national capital, the J&K Congress, along with some senior Delhi-based leaders, staged a protest against the Central government and vociferously raised the demand for statehood amid slogans.
Congress leader and party’s General Secretary (Organisation), KC Venugopal, while participating in the protest at Jantar Mantar, said that the Centre is going back on its word after promising statehood to the region.
Their presence lent weight to the event, with Karra, Mir, and Venugopal delivering impassioned speeches on the need for “justice and development” in the region. However, Gandhi’s absence remained a notable void for many attendees.
Sources within the JKPCC revealed that workers had been eagerly preparing for the event, expecting Gandhi’s participation to galvanize support and draw national attention. “His absence came as a shock to us,” said a senior JKPCC leader, requesting anonymity. “We were counting on Rahul ji to amplify our cause.”
While the Congress party has not officially commented on Gandhi’s absence, sources suggest that prior commitments or strategic decisions may have prompted the change.
The event proceeded with vigor, with leaders like Karra and Venugopal addressing key concerns, but the mood among workers reflected clear disappointment.
Meanwhile, the JKPCC has vowed to continue raising the issue both within and outside Parliament. “We will amplify this demand through every democratic platform available to us,” said Karra.
Back in Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that the Congress had never sought support for its campaign, demanding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Omar said “Let them talk to us first. We came to know about these through newspapers, no one talked to us. There was a meeting of the INDIA bloc some days back and had they mentioned this, why would we have taken a backseat when it is we who have taken it upon our shoulders?
“We passed a resolution in the cabinet. We brought the resolution in the Assembly, but it is a separate thing that it was not discussed.”
