Congress continues hunger strike in Jammu and Kashmir to press for restoration of statehood

Srinagar: Congress leaders and activists in Jammu and Kashmir sat on a hunger strike in Jammu city on Sunday to press for the demand of restoration of statehood to the Union Territory.

The hunger strike in Jammu is part of the party’s campaign for restoration of statehood, across the 20 districts of J&K, which started in Srinagar on Saturday August 9 and will continue till August 21. The protest fast of the campaign ‘Riyasat Hamara Haq’ was symbolically held at the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh at Tawi bridge in Jammu. The Dogra rulers of Jammu had merged Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh into a one political entity and formed the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. On August 5, 2019, the BJP led central government, abrogated Article 370, 35 (A) and downgraded and divided J&K into the two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.

Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra led several party leaders and workers, including former ministers and legislators, during the protest. Karra had said in Kashmir that the fast was started on August 9, on a day when the 'Quit India Movement' was launched.


“Hunger strike aims to awaken this blind, deaf and dumb government (in New Delhi). Congress campaign for restoration of statehood of J&K has been going on for the last six months across all the 20 districts,” said Karra.

Earlier, the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also wrote a joint letter to the prime minister before the start of Monsoon session of the parliament to remind the government of promises made to the people of J&K within and outside Parliament on restoration of statehood. “We gathered near the statue of the Maharaja to take a pledge to continue our struggle for restoration of statehood to J&K which was the largest state in the country formed by Dogra rulers,” said Karra.

The Congress recently organised marches in Srinagar and Jammu and later shifted the campaign to Delhi by giving a call for ‘Delhi Chalo’ as part of the campaign for statehood.