Congress Stages Protest In Jammu Against Rising Militant Attacks, Giving 'All Powers' To Lieutenant Governor

Several Congress leaders including Jammu and Kashmir Congress in-charge Bharat Singh Solanki, Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee President Vikar Rasool Wani and Working President Raman Bhalla staged a protest in the winter capital against the rising militant attacks and the central government amending the rules under the Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 thereby giving more powers to the Lieutenant Governor, reports ETV Bharat's Mohd Ashraf Ganie.

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir): The Congress on Thursday staged protest in Jammu against the Central government giving more powers to the Lieutenant Governor and the rising fatal militant attacks in the region.

The protest was led by Jammu and Kashmir Congress in-charge Bharat Singh Solanki, Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee President Vikar Rasool Wani and Working President Raman Bhalla.

During the protest, Jammu and Kashmir Congress Committee President Vikar Rasool Wani said that the BJP is “adopting all tactics to retain power in the state by empowering Lieutenant Governor without an elected democratic Government”. “BJP knows that they will face defeat in state assembly elections. Therefore, more powers have been given to the Lt. Governor, so that BJP's rule is maintained in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

The JKPCC President further said that the BJP had “completely failed to crack down on militancy especially in Jammu Division which was free from militancy”.

“All the claims of BJP have been proved to be hollow. Militancy is once again on the rise in Jammu division. The BJP wants to stay in power whether it wins the election or not, so it has given additional powers to the Lt. Governor, which will leave other parties powerless even after they reach to the assembly,” he said.

I, along with thousands of Congress supporters AICC in-charge Sh @BharatSolankee, Co-Incharge Sh @ManojYadavINC and other senior leaders were arrested while demonstrating against the growing terrorism in Jammu and the decision by the Modi Government to give all the powers of… pic.twitter.com/oUhlCFQ2NF

— Vikar Rasool Wani (@vikar_rasool) July 18, 2024

Wani said that the ground situation will improve only when there is an elected democratic government in the state. He said that the Congress today protested at the state level on various issues and took the initiative to highlight the wrong policies of the BJP among the people.

The Union home ministry on Friday vested more powers to the JK Lt Governor on matters of law and order and police and all India services like IAS and IPS besides prosecution in various cases by amending the rules issued under the Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. The Act which was enacted after the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh following the abrogation of Article 370.