Congress not to join council of ministers till statehood restoration: Karra

Srinagar, Nov 4: Amid indications of a cabinet expansion in Jammu & Kashmir, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Tariq Hamid Karra on Tuesday reiterated that the party will not join the council of ministers until the restoration of statehood.
Speaking to reporters, Karra said that Congress will not join the cabinet. “We have a principled stand that as long as Jammu and Kashmir doesn’t get statehood, we will not be part of the cabinet,” Karra said.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had last month stated that he is actively considering a cabinet expansion and added that more ministers would be inducted once the Jammu and Kashmir by-elections conclude.
Asked about his views on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s statement that reservation would be set as per the Supreme Court directive, the PCC chief advocated for proportionate representation of different communities based on their population.
“The best solution has been prescribed by Rahul Gandhi, who has said that a community should get representation according to its population. That is the best solution,” he said.
On Monday, CM Omar had said that the government will comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling that reservations should not exceed 50 per cent. (KNO)