Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday criticized the Modi government at the Centre, stating that its betrayal of Jammu and Kashmir continues unabated. He condemned the insertion of new sections granting more power to the Lieutenant Governor (LG), which he argued aims to delay the restoration of full statehood to the erstwhile state.
Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, suggested that even if elections are held as mandated by the Supreme Court by September 30th, 2024, the elected government would be subject to the LG’s discretionary control.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kharge labeled this move as another instance of “Samvidhan Hatya Diwas” under the Modi government.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also criticized the government’s decision, interpreting the notification as a sign that full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir is unlikely in the near future. He highlighted a consensus among political parties that J&K should promptly regain full statehood rather than remain a Union Territory (UT).
Ramesh shared a copy of the government’s notification, emphasizing that the amended rules under Section 55 of the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 expand the LG’s powers. He underscored the government’s commitment to hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30 this year, as previously assured to the Supreme Court.