STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Congress unit held a meeting here Sunday to discuss its strategy for the forthcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir and prepare for a mega-convention of the party’s grassroots level representatives in August.
“We are having an extended Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) meeting to discuss the upcoming elections, be it local bodies, Lok Sabha or assembly polls. Two to three senior leaders from all districts will be speaking at the meeting,” J-K PCC president Vikar Rasool told reporters.
He said the August 6 convention is aimed at preparing the party cadre for the upcoming elections in the Union territory.
“We will be having a convention on August 6 in which district development council and block development council members, and present and former panch and sarpanch of the party have been invited. The convention will be addressed by AICC in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir Rajini Patil and co-in-charge Manoj Yadav,” Rasool said.
Asked about the attacks on non-locals in the Valley, Rasool said that contrary to the claims made by the government, militancy is not finished yet.
“I was a kid when militancy started. It never ended though its levels have gone up or down from time to time. Attacks have taken place on labourers in Shopian and Anantnag.
“We want the BJP to focus on working on the ground rather than making claims about improvement in the situation. They can sell abrogation of Article 370 to the rest of the country but it is better that ground situation is improved so that peace returns,” the Congress leader said.
He said democracy should be restored in Jammu and Kashmir by holding elections at all levels. “Democracy which has been wiped out by the BJP in J-K. It should be restored. It has been nine years since assembly elections were held. We want elections but before that delimitation should be done in panchayats as some panchayats are spread over vast areas,” Rasool said.
On the situation in Manipur, he said nothing can be achieved by just condemning such incidents. “What will we now achieve by condemning? So much has happened with women in Manipur. The prime minister is yet to visit and the chief minister of Manipur has not been removed. It is very unfortunate,” he added.
