Party strong, United to play big role in J&K: Congress

Workers are the real strength of the party, who always steered the party at the time of need during its long history

JAMMU, March 09: Several Senior Congress leaders have said that the party is strong enough and united to play a significant role in the days ahead for the better future of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who have been deprived of their basic identity as a State and special rights to land and jobs.

Cautioning the people and party cadres about few leaders finding short cuts and changing their loyalty in search of better opportunities for their career in politics, they said that the Congress workers are the real strength of the party, who always steered the party at the time of need during its long history. They said that entire rank and file of the party is together and united to face future challenges before the people of Jammu and Kashmir who are passing through a worst time for the reasons of arbitrary disbanding and downgrading of the historic J&K State into UT and removal of special rights of locals to land and jobs to local youth.

They regretted that few leaders of Kashmir who were the great votaries of safeguarding and rather further expanding the existing rights of the people under Article 370, are now finding new roles for themselves for their political survival under the guidance of their new found mentors and are finding short cuts in politics to enter corridors of power at the cost of the interests of J&K people. The public is wise enough to understand and protect its rights and would play its role in the democracy against all odds in the days to come.

The Congress party always stands for protecting the democratic rights of the people and firmly believes that it is the will of the people that should prevail in the democracy.

The signatories to the statement included former DyCM Tara Chand, former ministers/ senior leaders, Raman Bhalla, Mula Ram, G M Saroori, Haji Abdul Rashid Far, Mohd Amin Bhat, Mohd Sharief Niaz, Jugal Kishore Sharma, Vikar Rasool, Abdul Majid Wani, Yogesh Sawhney, senior leaders Jahangir Mir, Parkash Sharma, Ravinder Sharma, Balwan Singh, Yogesh Sawhney, Ch Shah Mohd, Manmohan Singh, Ch Shah Nawaz, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, Ch Mohd Akram, Shabir Ahmed Khan, Ashok Sharma, Krishan Bhagat, Haider Sheikh, GL Chalotra, Naresh Gupta, Subash Gupta, Ashok Dogra, Sham Lal Bhagat, Hari Singh Chib, Ch Gani, Farooq Katoch, M S Parihar and others.

Meanwhile, all Congress Corporators of Jammu Municipal Corporation have also reaffirmed their full faith in the party and said that they reject the opportunist stand of any party leader changing loyalty at this juncture for vested interests.