Srinagar, June 27: J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president G A Mir on Sunday said that Congress party in the recently held all-party meet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi suggested that the government of India should follow a “three-pronged timeline” in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference at the party head office here, Mir said that Congress had “agreed upon” the timeline, which includes “first a transparent completion of Delimitation Commission exercise followed by restoration of statehood with constitutional guarantee on jobs and land, and subsequently formation of a popular government in J&K”.
“It is the demand of everyone here that statehood should be fully restored with a constitutional guarantee to land rights and jobs. In the all-party meeting the Congress party made it clear that the government should follow the timeline of completing delimitation, then restore statehood with constitutional guarantee on jobs and land, and hold elections in J&K,” Mir reiterated.
Mir said that though the Congress during the all-party meeting “stood firm” that there is need to undo the decisions taken on August 5, 2019, but added that “since the case pertaining to Article 370 is lying in the Supreme Court, it could be a time consuming process”.
Mir said that the Congress was not in favour of putting the restoration of statehood on a backburner, adding that they made it clear in the all-party meeting that Delimitation Commission exercise should be “time-bound and transparent”.
He said it was quite a “positive step” that the government of India “is envisaging political empowerment” of OBCs, SCs, STs and other minorities by the Delimitation exercise which, he said has been a demand of the Congress for many years.
“In the all-party meeting we were assured that the Delimitation Commission will approach all stakeholders in J&K including those at the Tehsil level,” Mir said.
Mir said that the Congress had gone “very well prepared” in the all-party meeting and “got the chance to make the opening remarks among all the parties who participated”.
“The ball is now in the court of the government of India. At least now, when everyone took part in the meeting, the government of India cannot say that invitations were turned down,” Mir said.
About Congress’ perspective on restoration of Article 370, Mir said: “The view that Article 370 is sub judice and cannot be discussed, is purely a legal perspective. There are so many cases lingering in courts which are discussed day in and out. We did mention in the all-party meeting that Article 370 was abrogated unconstitutionally.”
Mir said that it was quite surprising that despite being “a high-level meeting” there was no “agenda served for the all-party meeting”.
He said the Kashmir Policy Planning Group of the Congress headed by former PM Manmohan Singh and comprised of senior leaders including Congress president Sonia Gandhi had met in New Delhi before the all-party meet to chalk-out its agenda to be presented in the meeting chaired by PM Modi.