J-K Cong to launch 'Chalo Delhi' with statehood restoration demand

Jammu: The Congress ' Jammu and Kashmir unit has announced a series of protests, including the 'Chalo Delhi' campaign, from this week and has plans to "symbolically gherao" Parliament as part of its intensified push for statehood restoration. The party claimed on Thursday that it was "impossible" to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood without its intervention, which has the support of 233 INDIA bloc members.

"The Jammu and Kashmir Congress has decided that it will hold a protest in Kashmir on July 19 and in Jammu on July 20 so that our message on statehood reaches the government.

After that, we have the 'Chalo Delhi Chalo' campaign on July 21," its chief, Tariq Hameed Karra, told reporters here. He further said that under the 'Delhi Chalo' campaign, workers from every block and district of Jammu and Kashmir will leave for Delhi on July 21 under the leadership of the Congress. Once in the national capital, they and the INDIA bloc leaders would raise the issue.

The month-long Monsoon session of Parliament is set to begin on July 21.

"Our effort will be to hold protests in front of Parliament and gherao it symbolically. The goal is to raise our voice in Delhi so that it reaches all members of Parliament, among whom 233 are members of the INDIA bloc supporting our cause . This is a significant step," Karra said. The former minister said the campaign would stretch from Kashmir to Delhi.

"Alongside 233 INDIA bloc MPs, we will raise our voice in Parliament and on the streets. This marks the beginning of a significant movement from the Congress party." Reacting to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah thanking the Congress for raising the statehood issue with the Centre, Karra said, "My party has led this struggle from the grassroots, not just through press statements or sitting in drawing rooms.

Without the Congress' intervention, restoring statehood would be impossible." Underlining that the Congress has 100 members in the Lok Sabha and 50 in the Rajya Sabha, Karra said, "It has the full backing of its allies. The letter sent by Rahul Gandhi and (Mallikarjun) Kharge ji represents the collective strength of 233 members of the INDIA bloc.

It is a significant voice in Parliament, and if anyone acknowledges that, it is a welcome step." On whether Congress plans to approach the Supreme Court on the issue, he said "We had earlier clarified this point: when the National Conference brought a bill on the issue in the Assembly, we said that since the Supreme Court has deemed the government's decision legal, for us, the achievable goal now is the restoration of statehood." (PTI)