Mubashir Alam Wani
Srinagar, Feb 4: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President Tariq Hameed Karra on Tuesday strongly criticised the Government of India (GoI) over its security claims in Jammu and Kashmir, stating that the ground situation ‘contradicts’ official narratives.
Speaking to the media in Srinagar, Karra, pointed out the ‘recent incidents in both Kashmir and Jammu’, which, he said, have exposed the Centre’s ‘misleading’ claims.
“The government must seriously think about how to address the real situation and present the truth to the country,” he said.
Referring to recent security-related incidents, Karra stated that they were a reflection of the widening gap between GoI’s claims and the actual conditions in Jammu and Kashmir. “These claims are not just inaccurate but misleading,” he added.
On the issue of business rules and governance in J&K, Karra stressed the need for clarity. “Until the confusion over business rules is resolved, the biggest casualties will be the common people, especially the poor, who are left running from pillar to post in government offices,” he said.
Asked about PDP and Sajjad Lone’s stance that approving business rules would mean accepting the August 5, 2019 changes, Karra refused to comment, saying, “That is his stand. I cannot comment on that.”
On electoral processes, he acknowledged concerns about manipulation but stressed that every state has different electoral dynamics. “For instance, after elections in Haryana and Maharashtra, unexpected situations arose, including the shocking claim of 75 lakh votes being cast in just an hour, which Congress is now taking up with the Election Commission of India,” he said.
Commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the USA, Karra took a jibe, saying, “He is going as an uninvited guest, and we shall see how he is received there.”
Asked about the current take by the Congress party after extending the support to the government led by National Conference, Karra said that the sole purpose of supporting the government was to keep the BJP ‘out’ of the power corridors and that they were ‘successful’ in doing that.
